A Certain Strange Addition
by Animan10
Summary: What would happen if Touma's actions during the Graviton Bombings were discovered by the rest of Mikoto's friends. Just how much more misfortune and craziness can the unlucky Kamijou get involved in when he is essentially dragged into Judgement? Judgement!Touma fanfic. Harem with ToumaxMikoto focus (obviously). English dub terminology.
1. The True Hero

**Hey everyone, I'm back with another "A Certain" fanfic. This one is going to be a little more long term, following how the story might have proceeded if Touma and Mikoto's stories were a bit more connected. Took me a while to get the beginning I wanted as well as a nice sounding title, but it's finally here. I must give thanks to zerochitentoppakai and their story "A Certain Scientific Imagine Breaker" for providing some inspiration. If you've read that story, then one scene this chapter may seem very familiar. I tried to make it my own with my own character interactions, but please bare with me if it's a bit too similar. I assure you, every chapter afterwards will be my own work. With that, on to the disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The True Hero

It was the day after the Graviton Bomb incident. Mikoto Misaka was leaning on the side of a certain broken vending machine that she frequented. With her were her friends Kuroko Shirai, Kazari Uiharu, and Ruiko Saten. The girls just stood there, not really doing anything in particular. The only reason they were there was because Mikoto said there was something, or rather someone, important she needed them to meet.

"Sissy," Kuroko asked, "why exactly are we here?"

"It's just something I think you all need to know about," Mikoto answered simply.

"So why are we waiting here?" Uiharu pushed.

"There's someone that's missing from this meeting."

"Is that so," Saten said with a sly grin, "Whoever they are, they must be important."

"You could say that," Mikoto responded, her eyes focused on her feet.

'I don't deserve the credit. My Railgun wouldn't have made it in time back there,' Mikoto thought to herself, thinking back to the incident the other day, 'It wasn't me who saved Uiharu and that little girl, it was him.'

As if on cue, Mikoto heard a certain someone humming a tune to himself as he walked towards the group from the other side of the vending machine. Figuring it was time, Mikoto pushed herself off of the vending machine and came out from behind it to meet this person face to face. In front of her was none other than the mysterious high school boy that couldn't help but play the hero. The only person to ever survive her electricity. The boy with the mysterious ability.

"Eh, an ambush?" the boy whispered with a hint of fear.

"You angry?" Mikoto asked, leaning against the front of the vending machine, her friends coming out from behind the machine as well to see what was going on.

"Huh?" everyone else asked in confusion.

"Everyone seems to think I'm the one that saved those guys from the Graviton explosion," Mikoto explained, further confusing her friends, "If you come forward you'll be a hero."

"Wait, what are you talking about, Misaka?" Uiharu asked in confusion.

"I'm saying this guy is the one that saved us when the explosion went off," Mikoto explained, jabbing a thumb as said boy.

"Sissy, you can't be serious," Kuroko cried in outrage, "I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this gentleman doesn't seem like he could have stopped that explosion."

"You saw the crime scene," Mikoto argued, "Can you really think of any way my ability could have created an area where the explosion didn't even affect it? There was no iron sand for me you form a shield and it wouldn't have been very sturdy. My railgun definitely wouldn't have such an effect on the explosion."

"How do you even know this guy?" Saten asked.

"I've challenged him to a few fights before," Mikoto explained, ignoring Kuroko's disappointed glare, "Nothing I do with my ability seems to affect him. He just does something with his right hand and my ability fails."

The girls could barely believe what they were hearing. Before their very eyes, Mikoto was admitting to having been outdone. The boy in front of them had somehow managed to best her abilities as a Level 5 Esper and apparently do things she couldn't. Theoretically, the only two people who could do that were the Number 1 and 2, and this boy certainly didn't match that description. The girls tried to come up with an answer, but were interrupted by the boy.

"Why do guys care so much?" the boy asked.

"Huh?" all the girls said in response.

"Everybody got out of it alright. I don't really see a problem, do you?" the boy reasoned as he began to walk away, "So what difference does it make who really saved them?"

As the boy walked away, the girls could only look on as he continued to hum the tune he was humming before being interrupted. The girls remained silent for a moment before Mikoto quickly spun around on her toes to face the vending machine.

"Stop acting so cool!" she yelled as she kicked the vending machine, knocking a can out, "Why does he always have to play the hero! And why does he only do it in front of me! It's driving me crazy!"

In her anger, Mikoto continued to repeatedly kick the machine, much to her friends' displeasure. A majority of her kicks were not as severe as the first one. For the most part, she was mostly stomping on the front of the machine. However, the last kick was another roundhouse kick, which was enough to force a second can out of the machine.

By some miracle, the force of the second can falling out was enough to knock the first can out of the retrieval slot in the machine. The can then rolled away from the machine before stopping right under the boy's foot as he took a step. Oblivious to this turn of events, the boy stepped on the can, causing him to lose his balance and fall flat on his back.

"Rotten luck," the boy lamented as he picked himself off the ground.

As he said his iconic catchphrase, he's danger sense began to go off. For some reason, he knew that some other form of misfortune was coming his way shortly. Turning around, he noticed a red-faced Mikoto glaring at him, sparks flying around her bangs. When he spoke, the boy made his presence known to the third ranked Level 5, who was throwing a tantrum regarding his normal behavior. Realizing he was still there, Mikoto flooded with anger and embarrassment at the face that he just heard he call him 'cool'. At this point, her emotions were too out of control for her to properly keep her ability in check.

"Now, now, let's not do something we might regret, Zapper," the boy attempted negotiate, backing away and holding up his right to avoid whatever electric punishment he may face.

"I told you, my name is Mikoto Misaka!" Mikoto screamed as she let out a huge bolt of electricity right at the boy whom she could never beat.

Acting on reflex, the boy jumped back and let his right hand take the blunt of the attack. The moment the electricity hit his hand, the sound of shattering glass was heard and the electricity disappeared, like it was never there to begin with. As soon as he was sure that the attack had been blocked, the boy turned around and ran away faster then what most people thought was humanly possible. He had no intention of staying after that last outburst.

Needless to say, everyone else present was shocked, literally and figuratively. While the electricity was gone, the after effects were still felt as the girls' hairs were standing on ends. Somehow, the boy that just ran off had managed to block Mikoto's attack with little effort and was still able to run away. Even more shocking was the fact that Mikoto put so much strength behind her attack. Normally, she hit people with warning shocks when they annoyed her. Here, she fired an attack that could critically injure someone if it hit directly. It was as if she was confident that that boy would be just fine, adding more proof that she spoke the truth about him, not that they needed any more proof at this point.

"Who was that guy?" Saten asked

"Not sure, never got his name," Mikoto shrugged, trying to calm down.

"You complain about him not calling you by name, but you never bothered to ask for his? I expect more from you, Sissy," Kuroko said in a disappointed tone, trying to ignore the face he acted so familiar with Mikoto, even using a nickname.

"Hey, what's that?" Uiharu pointed out as she approached the spot that the boy was standing at earlier.

The item in question appeared to be a brown wallet, most likely belonging to the boy that ran off. It seemed he was unlucky enough to drop it after falling on the ground. Checking the contents of the wallet, Uiharu found a student ID with the boy's photo.

"Touma Kamijou," Uiharu read out loud.

"Well, at least we know his name," Saten remarked.

"Still, it a pretty odd name," Kuroko mussed.

"What do you mean?" Mikoto questioned.

"His name can be interpreted a few ways," Kuroko explained, "'Kamijou' can be read as 'He who is above God' and 'Touma' can be read as 'Invisible Demon'. Take his name as a whole and you get 'He who purifies God and exorcises the Devil'."

"Pretty scary when you put it that way," Saten commented.

"Yeah, like a mysterious hero that strikes fear into the hearts of the wicked," Uiharu added.

"You really need to stop created such outlandish fantasies," Kuroko advised her partner.

"I don't know about striking fear, but he sure does like to play the hero and is a pretty big mystery," Mikoto remarked.

"Likes to play the hero, huh?" Uiharu said to herself before breaking into a grin and running off with the wallet.

"Uiharu, where are you going?" Saten cried out.

"I need to speak with Konori! I'll see you guys later!" Uiharu yelled back, not slowing down her pace.

"I wonder what that was about," Kuroko confessed.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it," Mikoto said with a slight shiver.

* * *

The following day, Touma was sitting down in his usual class with the fully grown but still extremely small Komoe. The day had started off normal enough. His only real issue at this point was that he had not faced too much misfortune that morning, the worst that happened was discovering his wallet was missing. Now, one might think this was a good thing, however, Touma knew that if he didn't face a large number of small unlucky events, he would face a huge unlucky event.

His suspicions were proven true when one of his other teachers, Yomikawa, entered the classroom with two female students, one his age with short hair and glasses and another being a middle schooler with a flower headband. On each of the girl's right arms was a green armband, signifying that they were members of Judgement on duty. However, upon closer inspection, Touma recognized the girl with the headband as one of the girls with Mikoto the other day.

"Rotten luck," Touma whispered under his breath.

"Is Touma Kamijou present today?" Yomikawa asked her fellow teacher.

"Kamijou is here, yes," Komoe responded.

"Can he please come up here?" Yomikawa asked the class.

The entire class all turned to face Touma's direction, expecting him to do something. Resigning to his fate, Touma got up from his seat and walked to the front to join the guests. The students' eyes never left him, even when he got to the front to speak with the Judgement Officers and teachers.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Touma asked, trying to get to the point.

"My name is Mii Konori, chief of the 177th Branch of Judgement. The girl next to me is Kazari Uiharu, a Judgement Officer working under my branch," the girl now known as Konori said as she gestured to Uiharu, "She has informed me that you were present during the Graviton Bombing in Seventh Mist and helped her find cover when the bomb went off, saving her life. Is this true?"

Touma nodded in response, although technically he provided cover. The class began to whisper among themselves upon hearing this news. They all heard about the attack, but no one knew Touma was involved. Among the whispers, comments about Touma acting like a hero again and picking up girls could be heard. Touma decided to ignore whatever comments he heard.

"We wanted thank you personally and ask something of you," Uiharu spoke up as she and Konori bowed, "Please join Judgement. Your assistance would be very much appreciated."

At that moment, the classroom erupted into chaos. Students were jumping out of their seats making various comments. Many of the girls were congratulating Touma for his apparent act of heroism and encouraged him to join. On the other hand, the boys were all cursing him out, most because he had both a beautiful high school girl and a cute middle school girl bowing their heads to him like he was some kind of king. The latter type of comment was especially strong from his friends Peirce Aogami and Motoharu Tsuchimikado, considering the former boy was a pervert and masochist and the latter was a lolicon and siscon. However, the strongest remark about the current situation came from none other than Seiri Fukiyose, the single girl that seemed to be immune to the alleged Kami Disease, an infection that made all forms of females gravitate towards the unlucky Kamijou.

"Take the job, Kamijou!" Seiri said sternly.

"Why should I?" Touma yelled back in exasperation, "All Judgement does is go around cleaning and directing traffic when the automatic systems go down! I don't have the time to do all of that!"

"To be fair, that's not all Judgement does," Yomikawa stepped in, "They also help citizens with general problems and they assist Anti-Skill with law enforcement. Essentially, it's just community service."

"Which is exactly why you should join! Make yourself useful for once and contribute for society!" Fukiyose added.

"Besides Kamijou, you do all this kind of stuff during your free time anyway," Komoe pointed out.

"Don't we know it!" Tsuchimikado yelled.

"I saw him help a young boy get his kite out of a tree yesterday." Aogami remarked.

"Before the bomb went off, I saw him guiding a little girl through Seventh Mist," a girl added, "She was even calling him big brother."

"Okay! Fine! You're all twisting my arm!" Touma yelled, having heard enough.

"Thank you very much!" Uiharu and Konori said with another bow.

"By the way, you dropped this in the park yesterday when you tripped," Uiharu added as she presented Touma with his wallet.

'Of course I did. Rotten luck,' Touma thought to himself as he reclaimed his wallet.

"Since I'm in Anti-Skill, I can help you get your paperwork in order," Yomikawa explained, "Met me after class and we can get taken care of. We can even bypass the normal training you would have to go through since I know how physically fit you are. I am your physical education teacher. Komoe has also told me you're more of a hands-on learner, so protocol will be covered on the field. If all goes well, you will be enlisted by tomorrow."

"Just my luck," Touma lamented as his class cheered for their new Judgement officer.

Clearly, Touma was going to be having a rough time.

* * *

The next day, Touma found himself in front of the office building for the 177th branch of Judgement. True to Yomikawa's words, he was to be officially a member of Judgement starting today. He was already given his armband and was currently wearing it on his right arm. That armband was a symbol of his new obligation. Although Touma didn't want to join, he knew there was no harm in it. He always enjoyed helping people, this was a way to let him reach out to more people than he ever could before.

Taking a deep breath, Touma walked into the building, ready for whatever it had to throw at him. Or at least he hoped he was ready for anything. He followed the signs to the second floor when he found a single door marked with a sign indicating it was the Judgement office. He knocked on the door twice before the door opened, revealing Konori standing behind the door. Just behind her were the four girls Touma met in the park, Uiharu, Saten, Kuroko, and Mikoto. Uiharu and Saten gave him a warm smile. Kuroko did the same but there were clear undertones of skepticism. Mikoto, however, was glaring daggers at him and sparking slightly. The girls were sitting on a set of couches at a coffee table in the middle of the sizable yet cozy office.

"Welcome to Judgement, Kamijou," Konori greeted with a smile, "Please come in. We have much to discuss."

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 **I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing this. Please, tell me what you think in a review. If this gets enough support, I might make this a higher priority project.**


	2. Welcome to Judgement

**What's this? An update the day after the first chapter was posted? Unthinkable!**

 **Okay, jokes aside, I just couldn't wait to post this chapter after all the support I got from the first one. That had to be one of my most well received first chapters I've had in a while. There were quite a handful of reviews, follows, and favorites within that one day, something I never expected to get, and for that, I am truly grateful.**

 **Now, I'd like to take a note out of MrQuestionMark's book and address all of your reviews, right here, right now.**

 **Mizericordia: Thank you for the kind words. I knew going into this that many people were going to disagree with my decision to use the English Dub Terminology, especially in regards to Kuroko's use of "Sissy". I'm just a dub man, if I can find a dub I watch it. I wanted my story to be a way to introduce newcomers to the characters and increase interest in the franchise. Heck, I myself have fanfiction to thank for getting me interested in things RWBY and Fate/Stay Night. I feel that if I use a bunch of foreign terms like honorifics and Japanese nicknames, newcomers will feel alienated due to not being familiar with the Japanese language. I know I did whenever I saw a Japanese word thrown in that I didn't understand. Still, I appreciate your support despite that.**

 **jeancampos147: Glad to know you like the concept.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Always great to hear from you on this site. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. After all the support I got, I'm definitely going to stick with this one and go as far as I can. With any luck, Index Season 3 will be out and dubbed before I get to those events, so I'll have some official dub translations of certain character quirks like Worst's "Tou-san". Seriously, it is nearly impossible to write dialogue with Dub Terminology when a character has yet to be dubbed.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Glad you found this fun.**

 **Guest: Thanks for the kind words. Poor Touma, indeed. At least now that they will be spending a lot more time together, she might learn to keep her temper in check with him, or not, haven't really decided how I want their relationship to progress at this point.**

 **fencer29: Glad your interested in the premise. I'll keep the story relatively close to canon, but there will be some key differences. What exactly those differences will be, I can not say. Thank you for being so understanding about my choice in terminology. I know that "Sissy" is a big point of contention for a lot of people, but it's just how I wanted to format my story. Hope you stick with it.**

 **Handsomistic1: Glad to see someone appreciate my choice in terminology. Don't worry, I have no plans to leave you guys hanging with this story. I'll go as far as I can.**

 **Bluejack222: Don't worry, the Index story will definitely be covered.**

 **The Whole Horse: Thanks for the support, lad. I honestly thought this kind of story was a bit lacking in the quantity department. It just seemed to make so much sense, even if Touma helps for selfish reasons. Trust me, I think you'll like how some of these relationships develop. As for Touma being rewarded for his good deeds, let's just say this is just the beginning.**

 **f99 (Guest): Glad to see I exceeded you expectations for this story. I guess you can say I "shattered you illusions"? Okay, jokes aside, I'm happy you like the first chapter so much. Nice to know my choice of English Dub Terminology was appreciated.**

 **Well, that took a bit longer than expected. Anyway, on to the disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

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Chapter 2: Welcome to Judgement

Having just arrived at the office of Judgement branch 177, Touma could only describe this first encounter with one word, awkward. First, all the other people in the office were girls, most of them younger than he was. If it weren't for the fact that he was there to meet with his fellow Judgement officers, he would probably be arrest by a Judgement officer for pedophilia. Second, only a little more than half of the girls wore Judgement armbands, implying that they were the only officers. If that was the case, then he was the sole boy in an office full of girls. He could only hope and pray to every god that he had ever heard of (which was a lot since his father traveled a lot for work) that Tsuchimikado and Aogami didn't learn about this. Finally, one of those girls was Mikoto Misaka, aka Zapper, who would surely take every opportunity to zap the unlucky Kamijou.

Yup, just another regular day in the misfortunate life of Touma Kamijou.

"Maybe we should get introductions out of the way. Your name is Touma Kamijou, right?" Saten asked, earning a nod, "I'm Ruiko Saten. I'm not a member of Judgement, but I'm a close friend of these guys."

"I'm Kuroko Shirai," Kuroko introduced herself, "You already met Konori and Uiharu, and from what I tell, you already know Sissy."

"How do you two know each other anyway?" Uiharu asked.

Upon hearing this question, the two people in question gave each other a look, as if to communicate silently. Touma had an awkward smile on his face, his forehead sweating profusely. As for Mikoto, she was sending him a glare and was blushing a dark shade of red. From an outside perspective, one would think they were a couple who was just asked how they met and started dating, with the guy being awkward and the girl refusing to say anything embarrassing. However, the two people in question had a very different first encounter, as Mikoto was threatening him to take any action and Touma was fearing for his life.

"Well, if you must know, I was out late one night and a bunch of guys started hitting on me," Mikoto explained, "I was about to deal with them when this idiot came out of nowhere to help me out."

"Well, isn't that sweet," Uiharu mused, "Rushing in to save a fare maiden like a knight is shining armor."

"Again, Uiharu, you need to stop with those fantasies," Kuroko chastised.

"Seriously, his plan didn't even work," Mikoto added, "Who would have actually thought that he was a friend I was meeting up with?"

"Those guys did!" Touma suddenly yelled in exasperation, "My plan was working just fine until you decided to blow my cover!"

"It was still a stupid plan!" Mikoto yelled back, "I could have handled those guys myself!"

"Stupid or not, my plan was producing results until you decided to blow it for us! Not to mention my plan wouldn't have left people fried on the streets! If it wasn't for my right hand, I would have been on the ground with them!"

"I only did that because you started running your mouth about those guys be pathetic and me being childish! Sure, I agreed with the first part, but was calling me childish really necessary?!"

"You two are arguing like an old married couple," Saten said with a grin, much to Kuroko's horror.

"As if!" both Touma and Mikoto yelled in response.

Saten said nothing and just gave them a smug look. The two contemplated on this for a second before they realized just what exactly their position was. While lost in their argument, both Touma and Mikoto had gotten out of their seats and hutched over the coffee table in order to yell at each other's faces. With their scream fest on hold, both realized that their faces were extremely close, so close that if someone had knocked one of them forward from behind, they would have made contact in a way reserved for couples. Upon realizing this, Mikoto blushed profoundly and slowly backed away and into her seat. On the other hand, Touma completely disregarded the incident, but returned to his seat regardless.

"So, Kamijou…," Uiharu interrupted, trying to move past the yelling contest, "What exactly is with your right hand? I looked at your profile in the data bank but you're listed as a Level 0. Your scores are so low one would think you never took the Power Curriculum Program."

"Wait, seriously!" Saten asked in shock.

"But to stop both a Graviton explosion and Sissy's electricity could only be the work of a Level 4 at least!" Kuroko added.

"Well, the thing is, my ability isn't an Esper ability," Touma explained, scratching his cheek, "For as long as I've known about it, my right hand has been capable of negating any sort of supernatural phenomenon with a single touch. Academy City can't seem to detect it so they labeled me a Level 0 based on my scores alone."

"No way…," Saten said in a near whisper, "you're him."

"Huh?" Touma responded in confusion.

"There's an urban legend on the web about a boy with the ability to negate other abilities," Saten explained, "You're not just an urban legend, you're a living legend!"

"Well, isn't that something," Uiharu laughed, "We try to recruit a kind soul and end up getting a living legend."

"You're going to be an even bigger help than we originally though, Kamijou," Konori said with a smile, "Now we have a surefire way of dealing with reckless Espers."

"Speaking of which, I need to get started with patrol," Kuroko said as she stood up and took hold of Touma's shoulder, "and you're coming with me to help."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Touma pleaded.

"Nope," Kuroko said without skipping a beat.

Truthfully though, she just wanted to get him away from Mikoto. Anyone could tell that she was not the biggest fan of the boy whose name implies greatness, but Kuroko saw him as a threat. Not to Mikoto per say, but to Kuroko's personal quest for her affections. Mikoto was never honest with her feelings, her quickness to cover her love of Gekota and cute things was proof of that. Based on her reactions to Touma hearing her call him "cool" and being treated like the two were a couple, it was clear she actually had some sort of attraction to him. Kuroko was not about to let that happen, so she decided to use patrol as an excuse to keep them apart. Besides, she could use the back-up against any unruly Espers.

With her hand firmly on Touma's shoulders, she closed her eyes and stood there, as if waiting for something to happen. Everyone else in the room just gave her a look of confusion as she continued to stand in the same place doing absolutely nothing.

"Um, Kuroko, what are you doing?" Mikoto asked.

"I…," Kuroko stuttered, chocking on her own words, " I…I can't teleport!"

"Yeah, about that. Since my right hand is attached to my arm and the rest of me, I'm completely unaffected by supernatural phenomenon that directly target my entire body, so things like teleportation won't work on me. It's probably why I don't have a normal Esper ability, my hand negates any ability I could have developed," Touma explained, "You might be able to localize the teleportation to everything other than my right hand, but I would like to keep it attached."

"Looks like you're walking, Shirai," Konori said with an amused smile.

"What rotten luck," Mikoto joked along, having trouble not being amused by the situation.

"Welcome to my unfortunate world," Touma said as he got up and headed for the door.

"I hate it already," Kuroko complained as she followed the high school boy.

However, before Touma could open the door, it flew open by itself, revealing Tsuchimikado and Aogami.

"Yo Kami, Aogami and I thought we'd pay you a visit at your new workplace!" Tsuchimikado yelled with a wave.

"How have you been, man?" Aogami cheered as he and Tsuchimikado let themselves it.

As soon as they walked in, they got a good look at the room. From their perspective, it appeared that Touma had a grand total of five all to himself. Of course, they weren't exactly wrong, just had the wrong context. Unfortunately (and rather appropriately for Touma) the context they had was one that no one is going to like.

"Kami, how could you?! Using your new position to collect more girls! How shameful! Kami Disease is taking over the world one girl at a time!" Tsuchimikado cried.

"Why must you toy with us like this, man! How will the rest of the guys of the world get girls if you hog them all to yourself?! Humanity as a species is doomed!" Aogami screamed.

The room feel silent at the two intruders' outbursts. All of the girls had no words for what the boys had just said. They were supposed to believe that the boy that had just joined Judgement not only had the ability to negate other abilities, but was also an extreme lady's man? That was taking it a bit too far. Sure, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but Touma seemed a bit plain. He could surely win the hearts of a couple of girls with his heroics, but enough to put the existence of the human species in danger was a bit much. Yet these boys that appeared to be the unlucky Kamijou's friends seemed to imply he could gain girls affections with little effort. Just who was Touma Kamijou? He was definitely a strange one.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented.

* * *

After somehow getting Tsuchimikado and Aogami to leave and clearing everything up with the girls, Touma and Kuroko were finally able to go out for patrol. However, Kuroko was not in a good mood after that encounter with Touma's friends. She honestly didn't what to make of the boy. From what his friends said, he seems to unintentionally pick up girls with his mere presence, something she noticed bothered Mikoto an awful lot. Kuroko couldn't stand it! This boy is somehow earning the affections of Mikoto, yet seemed to be completely oblivious and regard her as something to be avoided to save his own skin! He should be grateful that Mikoto even acknowledged him as a worthy opponent!

On the other hand, Touma could clearly see that Kuroko was still upset. She had barely said a word to him the entire time they were on patrol, despite the fact she was supposed to be showing him the ropes. He did skip on the normal four months' worth of training so he could start as soon as possible. He could handle himself in a fight, but he needed to know how to do stuff other that fighting. Unfortunately, every attempt to make conversation with met with indifference of a glare. Eventually, Touma decided that if Kuroko was not going to speak, he would at least make his stances clear.

"Shirai, listen," Touma pleaded as he followed behind her, "I get it if you don't exactly like me, but please, help me learn what I need to do to be a good Judgement Officer. I was pretty much strong-armed into this, so I at least want to make the best of this. If you don't teach me, I can't help you. If I can't help you, I become a liability. If I become a liability, you can't do your job right. If you can't do your job right, then people get hurt. All I want to do is help people, so please, help me help others."

Although Touma couldn't see it, Kuroko's expression softened slightly. As they walked, she contemplated Touma's words. He seemed earnest enough, and his words held nothing but the truth. She couldn't keep acting petty like this otherwise someone might not get the help they need, especially if Touma's particular skill set was required.

Without warning, Kuroko stopped in her tracks and turned to face Touma, as if to say something. However, she was interrupted when the pair heard the sound of someone being pushed against a wall. Looking around, the pair of Judgement Officers saw a boy being surrounded by a group of guys in an alley across the busy street from them. This could only mean one thing.

"Looks like we've got trouble," Touma said as he prepared to charge, but was stopped by Kuroko, who teleported in front of him to block his path.

"Oh no you don't! You're still a rookie. Let me handle this," Kuroko said sternly, "Just contact Uiharu at the office and she'll contact Anti-Skill to make a proper arrest. I'll deal with those guys while you watch and learn."

Without saying so much as another word, Kuroko teleported to the other side of the street to deal with the crime in progress. Resigning to his fate, Touma called Uiharu to tell her about the situation. However, he was not going to stand by and just watch. Without so much as a second thought, Touma ran off to find the nearest crosswalk to get past the traffic.

* * *

"Hold it right there!" Kuroko yelled as she presented her armband to the group of delinquents, "I'm with Judgement! You are all under arrest for attempted assault!"

In front of her were a total of five guys, each one looking to be about the age of a high school student. The largest one hand another high school boy pinned to the wall by his sleeves with what appeared to be concrete spikes. The five delinquents only laughed at her display of authority.

"Who does this chick think she is?" the biggest delinquent laughed, "One of you, take care of her."

"You got it, boss!" one of the delinquents answered as charged at Kuroko.

The boy threw a punch at her, but the attacked missed by a large margin as Kuroko teleported behind his head.

"Nice try," Kuroko taunted as she kicked her target to the ground before teleporting in front of him, "Better luck next time though."

"Crap, a teleporter!" the boss yelled.

"You bitch! Your gonna pay for that!" another thug screamed as he charged at her as well.

However, Kuroko wasn't going to go down so easily. She teleported to the thug's right and grabbed hold of his sleeve. She then teleported the both of them into the air before punching the boy in the back of the head. The second boy landed on the first boy so the first boy was pinned. Kuroko then teleported to the ground and several of the needles she kept on her person into the second boy's clothes, pinning both of them to the ground.

Unfortunately, Kuroko made the fatal mistake of having her back turned to the boss of the delinquents. She felt a piece of concrete hit her in the back of the head, knocking her onto the ground and giving her a head-splitting headache, making it harder to concentrate and perform her calculations to teleport. She then found her arms and legs bound to the ground by concrete rings that seemed to have been formed from the ground around her.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" one of the still conscious thugs remarked.

"This is the boss's Level 4 ability, Terrekinesis," the other thug explained, "With it, he can control the very earth we stand on."

"You made a big mistake, girly," the boss of the thugs said as he touched the ground and formed a concrete knife, "You mess with us, we pay you back tenfold."

"Hey, leave them alone!" a voice familiar to Kuroko yelled out.

Despite her headache, she looked up towards the opening of the alley to see Touma standing there, a serious look on his and his right hand clinched in a fist.

"Who the hell are you?" the thugs' boss demanded.

"I'm with Judgement," Touma said sternly, presenting his armband, "and I don't appreciate you hurting innocent people and my partner like that!"

"Too bad for you, punk," one of the thugs said as he charged, "Today is no your lucky day."

The thug threw a punch at Touma's face, but Touma quickly shifted to the thug's right and grabbed his arm. Using the thug's momentum against him, Touma threw and flipped the thug over, dropping him onto the pill of his companions that Kuroko had started.

"Don't talk to me about luck!" Touma yelled as he elbowed his opponent in the face, knocking him out.

"You bastard!" the fourth delinquent yelled as he too charged at Touma.

Reacting quickly, Touma grabbed his new opponent's arms and help him at bay. With his opponent locked, Touma swiped his leg at the thug's feet, causing him to lose his balance and start falling. Before he hit the ground, Touma quickly swung the thug around and threw him onto the pile with the rest of them.

With only the boss of the group left standing, Touma turned towards his final opponent with a serious and dangerous look in his eyes. The final delinquent prepared his handmade knife, but his grip was shaky, and Touma was the cause of that shaking. His display just now shook the thug to his core. He didn't even use an ability and he took down just as many guys as the girl in the same time. Just who was this guy?

"You think that just because you have power you can do as you please," Touma spoke with an edge in his voice as he walked towards his final opponent., "That's nothing but an illusion, a lie you tell yourself to satisfy your ego."

"Damn you!" the final thug cried as he thrust his knife at the rookie Judgement Officer.

"If that's the case, I'll shatter that messed up illusion of your!" Touma yelled as he threw a right straight at the incoming knife.

The knife and the fist collided, but the fist was not injured in the slightest. Instead, the sound of shattering glass was heard as the knife shattered into a million pieces upon making contact with the fist, much to the thug's surprise. With the knife no longer in its path, Touma's fist rocketed into the thug's face, throwing him back a couple meters, knocking him out upon hitting the ground. Touma remained standing triumphantly, like some sort of great hero.

* * *

A few minutes passed and Anti-Skill arrived at the scene, as well as Mikoto, Uiharu, and Saten. By then, Touma had used his ability to undo the concrete bindings holding Kuroko and the victim. Kuroko was currently sitting on the side with an icepack to deal with the headache, with her friends keeping an eye on her. Not too far away, Touma was consoling the victim as he continued to thank the rookie member of Judgement. Eventually, Anti-Skill came to interview the victim, leaving Touma to check on his companions.

"How are you doing?" Touma asked as he approached the injured Level 4.

"I've been better," Kuroko admitted.

"You did great today, Kamijou!" Uiharu congratulated.

"Not bad for a rookie," Saten added.

"Well, I did take up Judo for a little while," Touma replied, scratching his cheek.

"I'll admit, you did good," Mikoto nodded, "Nice to know the guy that beat me isn't a total wuss."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Touma yelled in exasperation, earning a laugh from the girls.

When the laugh died down, the unlucky Kamijou turned to his injured coworker with an extremely apologetic look in his eye.

"Listen, I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but could we get along? I want to be able help anyone I can, and I know you want the same. If we want that to happen while working together, we need to get along so you can teach me and I can back you up. So, what do you say? Friends?" Touma pleaded as he offered his right hand.

Kuroko simply smiled before taking the hand.

"Friends," she replied genuinely.

Kuroko had Touma all wrong. He was not so bad after all, especially if he saved her like he did. Of course, she wasn't going to give up Mikoto to him. Not in a lifetime. However, this looked like the start of a beautiful partnership.

* * *

 **Well, there you have it, chapter 2. I must say, I'm pretty proud about this one.**

 **I usually struggle with original action set pieces, but I think I did a decent job with this one. I remember at one point in the Light Novels that Touma instinctively performed a professional Judo throw on Index to get her off of him once, implying he took Judo before his memory lose and retained the skills in muscle memory. I had to do a little research on Judo matches to get an idea of how Touma would implement Judo into his street fighting. I also took a note from the Sherry Cromwell fight with that last attack, but that shot was just too awesome to not replicated.**

 **I must warn all of you that while I might have updated immediately this time, this was only because I had a lot of free time over the weekend. I may not be able to update regularly, so please don't expect too much.**

 **Was the fight lacking? Did the characters seem out of character? Were there mistakes or inconsistencies? Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. It helps me to improve my writing and motivates me to keep going.**


	3. Real Legends

**Well, here we are again. I guess I got lucky and had a considerable about of time to work on this. This chapter is going to be covering canon events now, so please bare with me if some of the dialog feels like a cut and paste job. Now, let's get to QA out of the way.**

 **The Whole Horse: Thanks for the support. It's nice to know you enjoyed the last chapter, even if my ability to write fights is mediocre at best. Keeping characters in character is one of my top priorities when it comes to writing, so I'm glad I did that well enough. Don't worry about Touma's progression. One of my favorite things about Touma as a character is that his is only human. He has power, but its extremely limited to those with power themselves. I have no plans on making him any sort of god-like being. He will improve himself with hard work, but will only get better so long as they are within the confines of reality. Of course Judgement is going to be come part of Touma's harem, every girl not in a dedicated relationship or another harem becomes part of his harem. However, they will only be minor additions, like tiny crushes, rather than something like Mikoto's head-over-heals-borderline-obsessed-tsundere feelings.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: As much as I am Kamikoto trash, I can't give away anything about potential relationship statuses. I can however say that their relationship will get some of the most focus.**

 **Handsomistic1: Glad you like it, especially the part with Motoharu and Pierce. Had to be my favorite part to write about that chapter.**

 **Bluejack222: Sorry pal, that's spoiler territory so I can't say. I do think you will like the direction I go with it.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad you found it interesting. I'm going to try to keep the pacing of the story similar to what I have now, with some slow moments in between to explore the characters and their relationships a little bit. Tsuchimikado and Aogami were a must when Touma was alone with loads of girls, that situation was a powder keg waiting to be lit. I'm sure you're going to enjoy what I have in store for deviations from canon now that Touma and Mikoto's stories are a bit more intertwined. The new scenarios will still follow what was established in canon and I've put a lot of thought into how events might turn out, so don't worry about Touma delivering an OTKO to something like the AIM Burst.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Thanks for the kind words. I'll be sure to keep this going for as long as I can.**

 **f99 (Guest): I'm glad you liked the chapter. To ease your confusion, the Level Upper Arc comes before the Index Arc, so Touma still has his memories. This is made clear in Railgun when Mikoto was preparing to perform the violin and ran into Touma, who was looking for a missing Index. The scene when the two met clearly shows Touma is confused when Mikoto acts like they've met his speech is completely devoid of snark. He was even about to compliment her about her dress before she threatened him with a steel chair.**

 **Guest (1): I'm glad you liked the fight. I understand if Touma seemed a bit more effective than normal, but remember, this is before his memory lose. Assuming he really did take Judo, he would have memories of all the techniques he's learned and could use them actively rather than instinctively like with muscle memory. Hope this is an acceptable explanation.**

 **Meep fanmeepster: Thanks, I try my best and I'll continue to do so.**

 **jeancampos147: Yeah, I like Mikoto dere side too, though the tsun side is where all the bodily humor comes in. Don't worry, I made sure to add some Kami-disease in this chapter and there will be more to come.**

 **Guest (2): Yeah, the line is cheesy, but I really couldn't think of much else. Besides, I like cheese and ham, their great to put in sandwiches when you go to camp. ;P**

 **RPGPersona: Man, you wrote a lot in your reviews. I had to go to the actual site just to read them in full. I'm glad you liked a lot of the jokes and the direction I took the story in. I'll be sure to work on keeping everyone in character. This chapter is more focused on Touma's growing relationships with Saten and Uiharu, so I hope they are to your liking.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Glad you're enjoying what I have so far. And please, try to keep spoilers to a minimum.**

 **Guest (3): Hey man, to each their own. I've already explained my reasons in the last chapter.**

 **Well, that took a while. Hopefully, huge gaps in updates don't result in so many reviews to respond to that I'd have to skip some. Anyway, disclaimer time!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Real Legends

Quite some time had passed since the boy known as Touma Kamijou was strong-armed into joining Judgement. In spite of this sudden and strange addition to the 177th branch of Judgement, life for its members and all those closely associated with mostly the same Take for example Ruiko Saten, who was currently sitting at her desk in school transcribing her notes for her sick friend. On the surface, she looked to be deadly focused on helping her friend in any way she can. However, her thoughts were elsewhere.

'Who cares about theories and thought experiments?' Saten thought to herself as she stared wistfully out the window, 'I wish they'd teach us how to level-up faster. That would be useful.'

While she continued to stare, she realized she still had a friend in need sick at home. Put her ability related thought aside, she quickly put away her stuff and headed out. She still needed to pick up some medicine for Uiharu, she couldn't leave her best friend to fight this cold off by herself.

After stopping by a pharmacy to pick up the medicine, she noticed someone she had become very familiar with passing by as she made her way to Uiharu's dorm. He was actually pretty hard to miss in the crowd, considering his black hair was styled to emulate that of a manga character the boy saw in a magazine.

"Hey, Kamijou!" Saten yelled with a wave.

Turning towards the direction in which he heard the yelled, Touma waved back with a smile.

"Oh, hey Flipper," Touma replied.

One might give a strange glance if they heard someone call another by such a term, but it was actually pretty normal for Touma. Having gotten pretty close to his friends from Judgement, Touma had started assigning nicknames to each of them. He only thought it was fair since he always called Mikoto 'Zapper'. He put a decent amount of thought into each name, using something iconic about each girl to create it. Saten was called 'Flipper' since she loved to flip Uiharu's skirt, much to Touma's displeasure as it was always super awkward when he was in the room. Uiharu was called 'Headband' for her iconic flower headband. Kuroko was 'Pigtails' for a similar reason as Uiharu. Granted, he didn't use the nicknames all the time like with Mikoto, but he used them often enough that they stuck. Little known fact was that he actually had some other names for some of them, like 'Panties' and 'Closet Pervert', but he figured he would toss them as to keep himself in one piece.

"How have you been?" Saten asked as she approached her friend.

"Oh, you know, unlucky as always," the unlucky Kamijou answered with a stiff laugh, "What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Just taking some medicine to Uiharu since she's sick," Saten said as she presented the medicine, "You want to come with?"

"Don't see why not," Touma shrugged.

As the two continued their trek through the city of science, they passed by a park where they saw two more familiar faces sitting under the shade of some trees.

"Misaka, Shirai, hey you guys," Saten called out as she and Touma walked over.

"Hey Saten," Mikoto greeted cheerfully before switching to an annoyed tone, "Hey idiot."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that, Zapper?" Touma asked in a similar tone.

"Only when you stop using that ridiculous nickname."

"Come on, it super cute. I though you liked cute things. Or was that a lie."

"Are trying to die," Mikoto threatened as she began to spark.

"Hey! Come on! I was joking!" Touma said as he held up his right hand in defense.

"There they go again," Kuroko lamented.

"Those ices look delicious," Saten commented, noticing her friend's treats and ignoring their usual dynamic.

A few minutes later, Saten had bought a shaved ice for herself and sat on the adjacent bench with Touma. After taking a spoonful of her own, Saten began to wiggle in her seat in response to the brain freeze she had just gotten.

"Yeah, we feel your pain. That happened to both of us a second ago," Mikoto joked.

"You know it's gonna happen, but you can't stop eating it," Saten summarized before noticing her friends' flavors, "Oh, did you guys get strawberry?"

"Mhm here, would you like to taste," Mikoto offered, much to Kuroko's horror.

"Oh, that's so nice of you. Don't mind if I do," Saten replied.

"Mn, yummy. Let me give you a bit of lemon in return," Saten said as she scoped up some ice.

"Cool, thank you," Mikoto replied as she took a bit, causing Kuroko to scream in terror.

Everyone else looked in her direction at this, completely oblivious to why she was screaming like she was.

"Wh-what… what do you think you're doing?" Kuroko stuttered.

"Uh… tasting each other's flavors," Saten answered as if it was obvious.

Kuroko stood there for a few seconds before suddenly perking up an offering Mikoto a bit of her shaved ice. When Mikoto pointed out that they had the exact same flavor, Kuroko began to bang her head on the ground, calling herself stupid over and over again.

"There she goes again," Touma lamented as he shook his head at his coworker's antics from his seat.

"Hey Kamijou, why didn't you get a shaved ice," Saten asked, trying to ignore Kuroko's outburst.

"My budget's a bit tight right now. I can't really afford it," Touma admitted.

"That's some rotten luck," Mikoto commented.

"Story of my life."

"Say, Misaka," Saten said, feigning innocents, "why don't you let Kamijou have a bit of your shaved ice."

"Wh-what?" Mikoto stuttered blushing, "Why can't you do it."

"Kamijou's life is already so sour from his bad luck. I think some sweet strawberry is just what he needs," Saten reasoned, "What do you say Kamijou?"

"If Misaka's fine with it, I don't mind," Touma responded nonchalantly, not realizing how much of an impact using her actual name would have.

"O-okay then," Mikoto continued to stutter as she scoped out a spoonful of ice and walked over to where Touma was sitting.

On the ground, Kuroko could only watch in horror at what was transpiring. Mikoto was about to share an indirect kiss with her love rival, and Saten was conspiring against her. She couldn't let it happen, but at the same time there was nothing she could do without it looking bad. However, it turned out that she had nothing to worry about as luck was on her side, and by proxy, definitely not with Touma. Just as the spoon was about to reach Touma's mouth, the ice feel of and landed in the worse place it could possibly land for a high school boy.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Touma screamed as he collapsed on the ground, holding the now freezing forbidden place commonly reserved for one's truest of companion.

Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Mikoto jumped a little, accidentally dropping the rest of her shaved ice all over the unlucky Kamijou.

"ROTTEN LUCK!" Touma cried.

"I am so sorry!" Mikoto said genuinely as she took out a handkerchief, "Here, let me help you take care of that."

"No, it's fine," Touma insisted weakly, holding up a hand, "I just need one of you to buy be a towel."

Without saying another word, Touma quietly squirmed his way over to the nearest public bathroom.

* * *

After getting Touma a towel from a nearby convenience store, the girls spent the next few minutes trying to comfort Mikoto about the incident. It was one thing to spill a spoonful of ice on someone, but to end up hitting them where the sun doesn't shine and dumping the rest of the ice on top? That was just plain humiliating, especially for a Level 5 like Mikoto. Such an act was a huge hit on her pride.

"Come on, Misaka, stuff like this happens all the time," Saten said reassuringly.

"Not something that bad," Mikoto argued, hang her head.

"But this is Kamijou, it's always this bad with him," Kuroko pointed out, "This one time during training, a ball hit him in the back of the head and knocked him face-first into a light post. Not only that, but he also got handcuffed to the post when the fall made him throw up his set and they clasped around his wrists. He would have been stuck there all day if I wasn't there to get him out."

"Seriously, it's fine," a familiar voice said not too far away from the girls.

Looking in the voice's direction, the girls saw Touma walking up to them with the now wet towel slung over his shoulders, as well as his mostly-white dress shirt. His shirt was still stained a bit, but it didn't look too bad. A simple run through a washer would fix it. He now only had his orange shirt on his upper body, which looked dry and barely stained despite the soak he took. As for his pants, you couldn't even tell ice was dropped on it in the first place.

Needless to say, the girls were shocked to see how nice he looked in spite of the incident.

"You sure clean up well," Mikoto complimented.

"Kind of had to learn how to with how often this kind of stuff happens to me," Touma shrugged off the comment, "so don't worry about. No need to cry over it."

"I wasn't crying!" Mikoto yelled in defense, earning a laugh from everyone else.

In the mist of everyone's laughter, Mikoto came to a realization regarding a certain friend that was not present.

"Hey, I just realized, Uiharu isn't with you today," Mikoto said, turning directly to Saten.

"She stayed home from school because apparently she has a cold," Saten explained, presenting the bag of medicine, "I was just on my way to drop off some medicine for her."

"Is it really bad?" Mikoto asked in concern.

"No. she doesn't think it's anything serious, but I know how annoying colds can be," Saten responded, "You know, you guys can come along too. Kamijou already agreed to."

* * *

Within a few minutes of commuting, the four friends were finally able to reach Uiharu's dorm. Upon seeing her friends all worried about her, Uiharu thanked them from the bottom of her heart for their concern, something everyone agreed didn't require any thanks.

"It says 37.3," Saten observed, taking Uiharu's temperature, "Well, that's slightly high, so you should probably stay in bed, and be sure to cover up so you don't catch a chill."

"You know Saten, it might help prevent a chill if you'd stop flipping my skirt up all the time," Uiharu suggested.

"Don't give them the wrong idea!" Saten defended as she got down from the ladder to Uiharu's bunkbed, "As Uiharu's best friend, I just want to make sure she's wearing panties every day, like she's supposed to. It's my duty."

"Of course, I wear panties! Every day!" Uiharu yelled in outrage, getting up from bed.

"Yes, of course, we know you do," Mikoto reassured, "Now lie down before you get any worse."

"Besides, it's kind of late for anyone to not get the wrong idea, Flipper. I already gave you the nickname," Touma said, coming out of the bathroom, "Thanks for letting me borrow your washing machine, Headband."

"No problem at all, Kamijou," Uiharu responded.

"I'll go fix up a cool towel for you," Saten said as she went off to prepare said towel.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you, Shirai," Uiharu called down from her bed, "Have there been any developments in the Graviton Attacker Case?"

"There is one thing, I guess. It really isn't much help though," Kuroko responded, "We know that the person responsible for the attacks has a Level 2 ranking…"

"But what he did was unmistakably Level 4 stuff," Mikoto added.

"So, the only development so far is that there's even more we don't understand about it?" Uiharu summarized.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Kuroko confirmed.

"Now that I think about it, didn't you mention something before about a machine called the Level Upper?" Mikoto asked Saten over in the kitchenette.

"Level Upper?" Touma asked.

"That's right, you weren't there when I brought it up," Saten realized, "It's this rumor about a machine that can increase your ability level.

"It raises a person's ability level?" Kuroko asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, but like I said, it's just a rumor. All totally unsubstantiated," Saten explained, waving her hands for emphasis.

"So, there's no proof that it exists?" Mikoto pushed.

"Not at all. The stories about it are all mixed up. It's nothing more than an urban legend, really," Saten said in a somewhat disappointed tone.

"So? I was apparently an urban legend, and I'm right here," Touma cut in.

"That is true," Kuroko added, "Plus, this isn't the first time a person's level as shown in the data bank doesn't match what they've actually done. The girl with the stun gun and the eyebrows, the bank robber that was a pyrokineticist, the thug that was a terrakineticist, and of course our very own Touma Kamijou. Of course, Kamijou's a special case, even for this group."

"That's right," Touma said in thought, "you told me during work that loads of Espers have been reported doing things that are far above what their level entails."

"Are you saying…" Mikoto started.

"… there really is such a thing as a Level Upper out there?" Saten finished.

"Anything else you know?" Touma asked, looking straight at Saten.

"Let me see. There is something, but it could be another rumor," Saten mused, "I heard something about people who use the Level Upper posting to some kind of message board on the net."

"Do you know which message board it is?" Mikoto pushed.

"Take a look, Saten," Uiharu called down from her bed, "Could it be this one?"

In her hands was her laptop, with said message board pulled up on the screen.

"Ah! There it is!" Saten confirmed.

"Nicely done, Uiharu?" Kuroko complemented her partner.

"That's our Headband," Touma said proudly.

"Now, if only we could determine their identities and where they hang out," Kuroko added.

"I can't speak to their identities, but as for their hangouts, look! They seem to get together at this restaurant pretty frequently," Uiharu said, pointing at a message mentioning the restaurant Jona-G.

"Thanks a lot, Uiharu. I'm gonna look into it," Mikoto yelled as she ran out the dorm, "Oh, and get well soon!"

As soon as Mikoto was out the door, Kuroko teleported out as well. Just outside, Kuroko could be heard yelling after Mikoto.

"Don't worry about me! I'll catch up once my shirt is done in the wash!" Touma yelled as he sat down at the table with the remaining two girls, not expecting them to hear.

"You think they'll be alright," Uiharu asked in concern.

"Knowing those two, they'll be fine," Touma said reassuringly, "Although, I've been to Jona Garden a few times. I'm pretty sure there's a power plant nearby, so hopefully Zapper doesn't blow a fuse, whether it be one of her fuses or those of the power plant."

"Say, Uiharu, Touma, what if we could get a hold of the Level Upper? Do you think we could really use it to increase our ability levels?" Saten mused.

"Who knows," Uiharu answered quietly before becoming stern, "but in any case, cheating is wrong!"

"Yeah, I know, just hypothetically. I would never actually do it of course," Saten said quickly.

"Not that it would matter to much with me, anyway," Touma pointed out, "My right hand prevents me from developing an Esper ability. For all I know, I'm actually a fabled Level 6 or 7 with power greater than a god."

"Well, it would be quite fitting of you, wouldn't it, mister 'He who purifies God and exorcises the Devil'," Saten joked.

"As if I could surpass a god," Touma scoffed, although he was still smiling.

"Hey, while we're here, you think you can help me with something, Uiharu?" Saten asked as she pulled out her notebook, "The teacher called on me today and I had no clue how to answer."

"I'm sick and you're asking me to help you with your school work?" Uiharu responded in disappointment.

"Come on, I'll make you something to eat," Saten offered.

"And now you're bribing me with the promise of food?"

"She only does that because we all know you can't say no," Touma supplied.

"You're not helping, Kamijou!" Uiharu yelled, but was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling.

Touma and Saten gave their friend a knowing glance, as if daring her to reject Saten's offer.

"I guess I can use something to eat," Uiharu admitted.

Touma and Saten shared a fist bump underneath the table.

"I'll go get something ready," Saten said as she got up.

"Let me help you with that," Touma added as he followed her into the kitchenette.

In no time at all, the two Level 0s had prepared a delicious pot of miso soup. However, this was no ordinary miso soup, this was the Kamijou Specialty Miso Soup. Since Touma got so little money from Academy City for research since he's a Level 0, he had to learn to cook with cheap ingredients if he wanted to eat. Thus, he developed an impressive set of cooking skills that can make extremely flavorful food from the cheapest of ingredients. Even something as simple as miso soup became a blast of flavor, something Uiharu was very grateful for.

"Delicious as always, Kamijou," Uiharu complimented, lost in wonder by the taste.

"Always a pleasure, Uiharu."

"While I agree that Kamijou's cooking is impressive, could we get back to why we agreed to make you food?" Saten interrupted, feigning annoyance.

"Sorry," the two, other people in the room apologized before giving their full attention to Saten.

"Anyway, the teacher told me to brush up on Personal Reality, but I just don't get the concept,"

Saten explained.

"Yeah, it's complicated," Uiharu agreed, "I think I've heard something about before though. You have to create a reality on to one's self."

"A reality on to one's self, huh. A reality on to you, a reality on to me," Saten mused, "What are these realities anyway? Delusions, maybe?"

"I don't think delusions is the right word," Touma supplied, "I think a better term would be illusions."

"What do you mean by that?" Saten asked the high school boy.

"I mean that personal realities are just the things we tell ourselves about the world, the things we believe to be true without any real proof," Touma explained, "In an ironic twist, it's these baseless beliefs, these illusions, that allow scientific Esper abilities to manifest. At least that's how I see it."

"Is that why you always tell Espers you're going to shatter their illusions every time you punch them in the face?" Uiharu questioned.

"Part of it," Touma shrugged.

"So, it's the power of our beliefs, huh?" Saten mused, "Maybe I just need to believe some more, and my level will go up some day."

"I'm sure you'll improve," Touma encouraged, before he was interrupted by the sound of the washing machine finishing its cycle.

"Whoops, better get my shirt into the dryer," Touma said as he went over to the bathroom, "Damn it, why does the dryer have to be so complicated!"

Much to the girls' amusement, it took Touma a couple of hours to figure out how to get the dryer working. Why anybody would design it like that, Touma had no idea. To make matters worse for him, during the time he spent try to get the dryer to work, Saten had started to help Uiharu wash up, so Touma had to stay in the other room as to not see anything forbidden.

"Come on, you two, admit it. You want to be higher levels too," Saten said as she wiped Uiharu's back.

"Well, having a higher ability level would be pretty awesome and be great for academic advancement," Uiharu mused.

"That's the reason we're here. If we wanted a normal school experience, we could get that anywhere else. People flock to this city because they're fascinated by Esper powers. It's the reason this city exists," Saten said with a sad smile.

"I can see where, you're coming from," Touma admitted through the door, "but I don't think that line of thought applies to me."

"What do you mean?" Saten asked in confusion.

"Before I came to Academy City and became the urban legend of the boy that could negate other abilities, I was the urban legend of the embodiment of bad luck in my home town," Touma explained, leaning against the door, "People always avoided me because they were worried my bad luck would rub off on them."

"That sounds tough," Uiharu observed.

"For a while, it was," Touma said sadly, "I was attacked a few times by people who blamed their bad luck on me. My dad always went on business trips and brought home any sort of good luck charms he could find to help me."

Upon hearing about Touma's father's multiple good luck charms, Saten instinctively looked towards the good luck charm her mother gave her when she first came to Academy City, bringing back memories of her parting with her family.

"The charms never worked, so my parents finally decided to enroll me in Academy City. They figured since supernatural stuff was the norm around here, me and my bad luck would stay under the radar. I was only in elementary school when I enrolled," Touma continued, "If anything, I came to Academy City because it was the only place I could have a normal school life. I never really cared for the abilities, I just wanted to live a normal life."

"Well, considering the stuff you go through every day, I'd say it didn't go as planned," Saten proposed.

"On the contrary, life became much better for me," Touma revealed, "Sure, I still had bad luck, but no one ever looked at me in a weird way because of it. I was actually able to make friends, especially with other outcasts. I remember this one kid I was best friends with in elementary school, I think his name was Yuri Suzushina, though I haven't heard from him in years. I'm glad just for having had that opportunity for a normal life, even if my standard of normal is a bit different from most people's."

"I know what you mean. I'm a Level 1, but look at all the friends I've made since coming to Academy City," Uiharu agreed, "You're all so wonderful, I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Uiharu…" Saten whispered as she wrapped her arm around Uiharu's shoulder.

"You're adorable!" Saten yelled as she began to violently cuddle the poor, sick girl, "As a reward, I'll sponge bathe your entire body!"

"That's okay, I can reach! I can reach!" Uiharu begged as she tried to get out of Saten's hold.

In the bathroom, Touma was rather conflicted. He could not decide whether or not to open the door to see what was happening. On one hand, he was a chivalrous citizen of Academy City and would never do anything to purposefully harm someone unless they deserved it. On the other hand, he was a normal high school boy with his own instinctual urges. Still, this was his friend, he couldn't do that to her. She was just so innocent.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when the power went out and all the electronics stopped working, including the dryer with his still wet shirt inside.

"A blackout?" Uiharu observed.

"Wonder what happened," Saten mused.

"Damn it! Zapper must have overloaded the powerplant near Joan Garden! I just got the dryer running! I'm gonna give that girl a piece of my mind!" Touma yelled as he barged out of the bathroom.

However, he stopped in his tracks at the sight in front of him. Uiharu and Saten were sitting on the floor with Saten on Uiharu's back and Uiharu holding her shirt in front of her chest. Even in the dark, Touma could clearly see the compromising position the girls were in. Everyone remained silent for a minute before Uiharu let out a scream.

"Look away!" Uiharu yelled as she threw the washtub Saten was using at Touma.

He was hit straight in the face, knocking him on to the ground and drenching him from head to toe.

"Rotten luck," Touma whispered just before he passed out.

* * *

The next day, Touma was out for a walk to help him clear his head. After yesterday, he was not in a good mood. The power was out all night and he was left with in the dark the entire night. He was just glad he was planning on going shopping today anyway since his fridge was already mostly empty that night, so he didn't lose too much in terms of perishable food. Still, that single stroke of good luck wasn't enough to make him feel better. He was in such a bad mood that he didn't notice two people appear behind him as he grumbled to himself.

"Damn that Zapper," Touma complained, "Next time I see that girl, I'm gonna…"

"You're gonna what?" said girl interrupted from behind him.

Paralyzed in fear, the unlucky Kamijou turned around to see Mikoto and Kuroko standing behind him. Mikoto was staring daggers at him and sparking, as per usual. Kuroko, on the other hand, looked like she was trying to hold in a laugh, probably the result of him unknowingly complaining about Mikoto to her face.

"Hey, Shirai, Misaka," Touma greeted, careful not to use nicknames as to not make Mikoto madder, "What are you girls doing here?"

Getting her laughter under control, Kuroko gave Touma a serious look.

"We have trouble at the hospital," Kuroko explained, "It's about the guy that caused the Graviton Bombings."

* * *

The group soon arrived at the hospital that the Graviton Bomber, Hatsuya Kaitabi, was checked in. He had apparently randomly passed out while Anti-Skill was interviewing him. The group managed to find Kaitabi's doctor and introduced themselves.

"Kuroko Shirai and Touma Kamijou with Judgement," Kuroko introduced herself and her partner as they presented their armbands, "How is he?"

The doctor explained that Kaitabi had passed out, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him physically. No head trauma or anything of the like whatsoever. He also mentioned that other patients have checked in with the same condition, among them being the girl with the eyebrows, the pyrokinetic bank robber, and the terrakinetic mugger.

"I hate to admit it, but this is beyond the capabilities of this hospital and its staff," the doctor explained, "so I've called in an outside specialist in neurophysiology."

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," a woman with long blond hair and baggy eyes said as she approached.

She was no ordinary woman. She was someone both Touma and Mikoto recognized and remembered vividly for her unique habit.

"I came here at the request of the hospital director," the women explained, "My name is Harumi Kiyama."

"Why are you here?" Touma and Mikoto asked in surprise simultaneously.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed that. I know I did.**

 **I think I did well with character interactions and exploration. I always thought of Saten and Touma as being two sides of the same coin, in a sense. Both are Level 0s, but Touma has always been content with that while Saten was aways torn up inside about it, going as far as to use the Level Upper despite knowing it was dangerous. I feel like putting a literal wall between the two of them was a bit on the nose, but I think it worked well.**

 **So, I introduced someone by the name of Yuri Suzushina in Touma's past. No, he's not an OC, but rather my take on a certain backstory. You all have 7 guesses to figure it out, and the first guess is the only one that counts. If you've read some of my other "A Certain" fanfics, you might know who it is.**

 **See all next time!**


	4. Espers' Dreams

**Guess who's back? I have to say, working on this story has been nothing but a joy. I never would have expected to get so much support for this story in the short amount of time I have been working on it. I guess the key was to pick a series that was a little popular enough to be seen, but not so popular that my story is lost in the constantly growing pages of series such as Harry Potter and Naruto. For that, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the support.**

 **Now, before I get to the QA, there are some things I need to address that pertain to all of you. First, congratulations, you all got at least extreme close to guessing the identity of Yuri Suzushina. As many of you guessed, his true identity is Accelerator. If you've read my other "A Certain" fanfics, you know that I strongly believe in the theory that Touma and Accelerator knew each other as children, but grew apart due to circumstances. Most of you guessed Accelerator, some variant of Accelerator, or just called me out on being a cheeky bastard, so for that, I congratulate you.**

 **Also, many of you have noted that the power outage in chapter 3 should have coincided with the one at the start of the Index Arc. However, I am following the order of events as presented in the anime and explained by Youtube Channel, "Misty Chronexia", which places the Level Upper Arc before the events of the Index Arc, rather than coinciding.**

 **I also want to make a shout-out to Epidemic Bear, who helped me with some extra Judo research to enhance Touma's fight correagraphy.**

 **Now that that is out of the way, QA time!**

 **Awareness** **Bringer: Thanks for bringing up all of the errors. I'll be sure to pay more attention in the future.**

 **MrQuestionMark: I'm glad you like how I'm handling dialogue. I make sure to change a few lines of text when I feel different context is necessary, so it's nice to know it's working well. I'm a little disappointed you found the nicknames a bit off putting, but it's understandable. Don't worry, they're not a constant thing, just something Touma uses as greetings and for jokes in catual conversation. I was hoping you would notice the shout-out I made to you with 'Headband'. It was from your story 'The Interrogation' in your work 'Between The Lines', all I did was drop the honorific.**

 **I have to say I liked creating parallels between Touma and other characters. I feel like he was designed that way. For example, boy meets sister, boy accidentally strips sister, boy feeds sister, boy leaves sister, boy learns sister is in danger, boy gets help from an adult who at one point wanted to be a teacher, boy uses his power to save sister, boy gets life changing brain injury for his troubles, boy starts living with sister. Now tell me, did I describe the Index Arc or the Three Stories Arc?**

 **Why, thank you! I pride myself in my cheeky bastard side.**

 **Bluejack222: Close enough. Might want to pay attention to the gender of the name next time.**

 **The Whole Horse: Yeah, maybe that was a bit on the nose. Of course there will be magic side shenanigans. I just need to come up with more ways for the girls to get involved. The biggest hurdle would have to be that a lot of the magic side events drag Touma out of Acadamy City. It's Touma, what do you think when it comes to him and girls? Actually, I might tone it down a little bit and have him notice. Just a little. Sorry, but talking about IT is spoiler territory, as is reactions to his right hand.**

 **GoshujisamaZ: I'm glad you like the story! Good to know that I've cleared up your confusion.**

 **jeancampos147: Good guess! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Good guess! (I'm starting to sound like a broken record.)**

 **fencer29: As I explained above, the anime timeline has most of these events happen with mostly very little overlap, so I will still cover all the magic side events. How I implement the other characters will be seen when the time comes.**

 **omegazero2718: Good guess! (The broken record is back!)**

 **Yourfellowwriter: Nice to know I grabbed you attention, and the knowledge that my story is the only one you have currently Favorited is an honor that words can't describe. I'll try to go for longer chapters. Nice to know I inspired you!**

 **Guest (1): Good guess! (Some one help me!)**

 **RedSS: I felt like there weren't enough of these. I'll keep it going for as long as I can!**

 **DeiLucem: I'll keep it going for as long as I can! (Dang it! I broke another record!)**

 **RPGPersona: Glad to see you have plenty to say as always. I'm glad you liked the comedy, I always saw myself as a bit of a comedian. Like I said, I'm working with the anime timeline, so very little overlap with events. Trust me, this chapter is going to be interesting.**

 **Well, that took a while. Anyway, on to the disclaimer! (Dang it! how many of these records have I broken at some point?!)**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Espers' Dreams

"Hot, hot, it is so hot in here," Kuroko complained as she fanned herself.

Sitting next to Kuroko was a sleeping Mikoto. Across from the, was Touma, who had elected to take off his white button-down shirt, leaving him in his orange tee shirt. The three students were sitting in a waiting room at a hospital, waiting for a certain doctor to return.

"Well, we have Zapper to thank for that. She did overload that power plant last night," Touma commented.

"You know, we could have prevented this if you were there to keep her in check with your right hand," Kuroko argued.

"Cut me some slack, my shirt was still in the wash! I had to air dry it last night after Zapper fried the power plant," Touma defended.

Their argument didn't last long, as their target, Dr. Kiyama was approaching the group after having checked on all the comatose patients.

"Come on, wake up! Please open your eyes, Sissy!" Kuroko begged, shaking the sleeping girl.

"Man, this girl can sleep," Touma said in exasperation, rubbing his head.

"Sissy, wake up already," Kuroko continued before getting a perverse look in her eyes and starting to drool.

Kuroko focused on the sleeping Mikoto's lips, perfectly still and slightly opened. It was the perfect opportunity for anyone with a crush. Touma noticed this too and decided to give the fantasizing girl a fair warning.

"Don't even think about it," Touma warned his teacher and field partner.

"Okay, I won't think about it. I'll just go for it and see if a kiss will help," Kuroko said, leaning for the kill.

"You know she's just going to punch you just before you can do it," Touma added.

Just before Kuroko could land the kiss, Mikoto's eyes fluttered open. In the single second she was awake, she took in a mountain load of information. In the first half of the second, she saw Touma sitting across from her. He was leaning back into his seat and had his white shirt off, making his decently built chest partially visible through the sweaty orange shirt. As much as she would have loved to deny enjoying the view, it was his face that earned her attention. He had a smug look on his face and seemed to be waiting for some inevitable outcome. This was a red flag in Mikoto's book.

In the second half of the second, she noticed that Kuroko was extremely close. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were puckered up. Touma's smug look suddenly made sense, and she reacted accordingly. She quickly got out of her seat, now wide awake, and pounded her fist into the top of Kuroko's head with a loud bang.

"This isn't a fairy tale, you know," Mikoto reprimanded her roommate.

"I warned you," Touma said as he got up, his white shirt hanging over his shoulder.

"But it did work. You're awake now, aren't you?" Kuroko reasoned.

"That's unexpected. Why are you three still here?" Kiyama asked.

Touma turned around in order to look her in the eyes with a serious fire behind his own.

"There's somethings we need to ask you," Touma answered.

"I suppose I can spare you the time, but I find it unbelievably hot in here," Kiyama noted, "It's the middle of summer, shouldn't they at least turn on the air conditioning for us?"

"You do make a good point," Kuroko agreed.

"I'm very sorry, but we had a power outage last night," a passing nurse said, "Things haven't been resorted to normal quite yet."

"Anything you'd like to say for yourself, Zapper," Touma asked sarcastically.

"Oh, let it go, idiot!" Mikoto began to argue, but stopped when she noticed Kiyama do something with her necktie.

"Alright then, they're using emergency power for basic operations and critical patients," Kiyama concluded as she pulled off her tie.

The two girls could only watch in shock as Kiyama began to take off all her clothes. As for Touma, he had quickly turned around and shielded his eyes as to not see anything forbidden for a teenage boy.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Touma yelled in exasperation.

"Again? Seriously?" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Your solution to this is to take off all you're clothing?!" Kuroko yelled.

"Well, it's really hot in here, you know," the half-naked researcher reasoned.

"We're not alone, there are people everywhere! Heck, there's a guy within a meter of you!" Kuroko argued.

"What if I just leave my underwear on?" Kiyama negotiated, "Besides, this boy here also removed an article of clothing."

"No! That's not going to work!" Kuroko yelled as she began to button up the doctor's shirt.

"Besides, I only did that because I'm wearing something perfectly acceptable under the first shirt! Now put your clothes back on before I get accused of assaulting you like last time!" Touma begged.

"Oh, alright," Kiyama conceded.

"Dr. Kiyama, we're really interested in your opinion on these patients as a specialist," Mikoto requested.

"I'd be happy to help you," Kiyama said in a monotone voice, "It's so hot in here."

* * *

A little while later, the three students had taken Dr. Kiyama to their usual hang out, Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant, to discuss the coma patients. The four of them were all seated at a booth with a few drinks of their choice to help ease the heat and focus. Unfortunately, was focused on another topic.

"I'd like to continue where we left off, it it's okay. Why are swimsuits acceptable, and underwear is not when they both expose the same amount of skin?"

"No, that isn't the point," the two girls answered flatly.

"Hmm, she brings up a good question," Touma whispered to himself, holding his chin.

"You can't be serious," the middle schoolers responded in mild shock.

"Sorry, ignore that," Touma said, waving off the topic, "Tsuchimokado and Aogami dragged me into one of their debates the other day."

Heeding Touma's advice, the group got straight to the point and explained to Kiyama the rumor of the Level Upper. The explanation itself didn't last very long as they themselves knew very little about the device.

"This… Level Upper… can you tell me what kind of thing it is?" Kiyama asked, "What does it do? How is it used?"

"Unfortunately, we don't know." Kuroko admitted.

"Have anything you'd like to say for yourself?" Mikoto asked, turning her attention to Touma.

"Is now really the time to get back at me for the jab I made earlier?" Touma responded in exasperation.

"No details so far, but it might have something to do with who have fallen into comas recently," Kiyama concluded, "That's what you think, yes?"

"Pretty much," Touma confirmed.

"Why bring this problem to me," Kiyama continued.

"We've been giving it some serious thought lately," Kuroko explained, "It seems that elevating one's ability might well disrupt normal brain function. If that's the case, then I think we'll need help when we find this thing, and I think your professional experience could be invaluable."

"This is something I'd be happy to help with. I am a cerebral physiologist, it's my area. Aside from that, there is something else that's been bothering me," the baggy eyed researcher said as she looked out the window, "Who are those girls?"

Much to the students' surprise, Uiharu and Saten could be seen just outside the window, smiling at them. This normally wouldn't be such a strange sight, were it not for the fact that Saten was pressed against the glass, wearing a much larger grin then one would expect from someone who was happy to see her friends.

After letting themselves in the restaurant, Uiharu and Saten joined their friends at the booth and order a few things for themselves. The two were quickly caught up on the situation, making sure everyone was on the same page.

"Oh, so you're a brain doctor?" Uiharu asked for confirmation.

"Are you here to look at Shirai's brain?" Saten joked.

"We're conferring with her about the Level Upper matter," Kuroko explained.

"Well, if that's the case…" Saten said cheerfully as she reached into her pocket.

"This is serious. Anybody found in possession of it will be taken into custody," Mikoto said seriously.

As Mikoto said this, Saten stopped in her tracks. She had just pulled out a music player, but didn't seem to do anything further with it, something Touma took notice of.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Uiharu asked.

"The investigation is ongoing, so I can't tell you everything," Kuroko explained, "It does seem that its users suffer some side effects."

Saten tightened her grip on the music player, again, not escaping Touma's notice.

"Anyway, I find the users of any drug usually turn to crime," Kuroko admitted.

"Hey, Saten, something bothering you?" Touma asked in concern.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all," Saten insisted, hastily putting away the music player and accidentally spilling a glass of tea onto Kiyama's stockings.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Saten apologized.

"Please don't worry about it. It just got on my stockings, so once I take them off…" Kiyama explained as she got out of her seat and did her usually routine.

The girls, save for Kuroko, could only respond with a surprised blush as Kiyama took off her skirt and began to roll down her stained stockings. Touma desperately turned away for the as to not see anything he shouldn't as Kiyama stripped in front of him for the second time that day. Kuroko, unlike the other girls, could only respond in anger at this point.

"How many times do we have to tell you not to take you're clothing off while you're in public!" Kuroko yelled.

"Look at me for a second. I'm not particularly special. No man in here is going to care about seeing my body," Kiyama calmly reasoned.

"Everyone has different tastes, so you can't really know! Besides which, it's not only men you should be thinking about, you know!" Kuroko argued.

"Seriously, just keep your clothes on!" Touma begged, "This is the third time you've done this in front of me, and something tells me third times the bad luck charm in this case!"

"I can't believe it," a familiar boy's voice said nearby.

"Kami was telling the truth," a second voice added, using a nickname only a single person ever used.

Looking in the direction of the voices, the group saw Tsuchimokado and Aogami standing not too far away. They were looking straight at the group with low jaws and, in Tsuchimokado's case, eyes wide. Such a reaction was expected from two of the most open perverts and girl enthusiasts you'd be likely to meet.

"What are you two doing here?!" Touma yelled in terror.

"We were just stopping by for lunch," Aogami explained.

"We didn't expect to see you here with your middle school girls and the fabled stripping lady you told us you ran into," Tsuchimokado added.

"You told them about that?!" Mikoto yelled, demanding answers.

"It was a rough day! I was accused for assaulting someone, nearly missed an important sale, lost my weekly supply of eggs when they broke, forced to fight you, and then chased through the city with electricity aimed at my back! I needed to vent the next day!" Touma defended.

"You do realize we need to punish you for this, right Kami?" Tsuchimokado said darkly, adjusting his sunglasses.

"How dare you keep such a woman to yourself," Aogami threatened as he cracked his knuckles.

"Rotten Luck!" Touma yelled as he was dragged into another one of the Delta Force's pointless fistfights.

* * *

By some miracle, Touma was able to fend off his friends and get them to leave him alone for a little bit. It didn't necessarily mean he was going to hear the end of the topic, but he would take what he could get. By the time he had taken care of Tsuchimokado and Aogami, the sun was starting to go down and everyone decided it was time to head out.

"I know you're busy, so thank you for giving us this information," Kuroko said to the researcher.

"No, I thank you," Kiyama insisted, "This has reminded me of the time when I was a teacher. I have enjoyed it."

"I didn't realize you were a teacher before," Kuroko admitted.

"I was once," Kiyama explained before walking off, "Good bye."

"I don't know what to say. She's a little different, huh?" Kuroko mused as they watched the researcher leave.

"Aren't you a little different too?" Uiharu joked.

"Alright then," Kuroko said, ignoring the jab at her own perverse habits, "I think it's time we head back to the office now."

"That's a good idea, and we should gather whatever data we have for Dr. Kiyama," Uiharu agreed.

"Yes, your right. Okay then guys, so we're all ready to head back to the branch then, yeah?" Kuroko asked the rest of her friends, only to realize Touma, Mikoto, and Saten were all missing, "Where'd everyone go?"

* * *

'I don't want to give this up,' Saten thought as she ran through the streets of Academy City, 'It's not like I've used it yet, so I don't have to tell anyone.'

She stopped under a bridge to catch her breath, clutching the music player in her left hand.

"But I worked so hard to find it," Saten said to herself, clutching the music player tighter.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice said not too far away.

Turning towards the voice, Saten saw Mikoto and Touma approach her with comforting looks on their faces.

"Misaka, Kamijou, why are you here?" Saten asked in confusion.

"You ran off so quickly, we thought something was wrong," Touma explained casually.

"Oh, it's nothing, really," Saten replied.

"Are you sure?" Mikoto asked in concern.

"It's just that everyone is involved in this case other than me," Saten explained as she stowed the music player into her pocket, before striking a cute pose, "I'm not Judgement or anything."

As she struck a pose, her good luck charm fell out of her pocket and landed on the ground. Noticing this, Mikoto picked up the charm and handed it back to her friend.

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that," Saten said.

"You always have that thing hanging on your bag," Mikoto observed.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Saten responded as she held up the charm, "I got if from my mom."

"You too, huh?" Touma said with a warm smile.

"I guess, but it seems silly, huh?" Saten replied, "It's not like good luck charms are scientific. At the end of the day, my mom is just superstitious. It's not like something like this can actually protect me anyway, right? It's not like it's magic."

"Your mom sounds like she's really nice. She cared enough to give you that charm," Mikoto observed.

"Yeah, she's a great mom. But I feel like I haven't been living up to expectations. It's been years and I'm still only a Level 0," Saten said longingly.

"Come on Saten, does your level really matter that much?" Touma asked.

"Not to be rude, but that's rich coming from you, Kamijou," Saten responded sadly, "You may be a Level 0, but you have a power."

"Maybe, but it's only really useful for dealing with other powers. It doesn't really do me any good outside of that," Touma countered, holding out his left hand, "Mind if I see your charm?"

"Sure, I guess," Saten responded, placing the charm in Touma's hand.

Touma examined the charm for a second before smiling and giving it back to Saten.

"Your mom has a good eye," Touma said, "This one's an especially strong one. You better keep it away from my right hand. We wouldn't want me to negate any supernatural powers it might have."

"How can you tell?" Saten asked, eyeing the charm.

"Like I said, my dad got me a lot of good luck charms as a kid. I know a thing or two about them. If it does have some sort of supernatural power to it, I'm sure you'll get some luck with your power soon. Just don't let my right hand touch it," Touma explained with a smile.

At that moment, Saten couldn't help but appreciate just how lucky she was to have such great friends. Touma and Mikoto's kind words and concerns made her feel an awful lot better. While she still didn't want to give up the Level Upper, she was going to put a bit more thought into it. She was lucky enough to have these people as friends and to have found the Level Upper. Maybe Touma was right about her good luck charm.

Now feeling much better, Saten realized she had the perfect opportunity for some teasing. Touma and Mikoto were both there alone with her to comfort her. The chance was just too good to pass up.

"You know, you two sound like a couple of parents comforting their kid right now," Saten laughed, feigning innocence.

"As if!" Mikoto denied, turning away so to keep her blush hidden.

"Of course we sound like that," Touma said obliviously, "We're worried about you. Who wouldn't sound like that when worried about someone?"

"Shut up, idiot!" Mikoto yelled, "Don't you have a sale you should be heading to or something?"

"Oh crap, I actually do!" Touma realized.

In all the excitement, he had completely forgotten that he had to restock his fridge to make up for what little food he lost in the power outage and his normal eating habits. Without saying another word, he ran off towards the nearest grocery store.

"I'll see you guys later!" Touma yelled as he ran, leaving the two girls dumbfound.

* * *

The next day, Saten was once again out on the town by herself. She did nothing but stare at the screen of her music player and its current selection. The song had no image attached to it, nor an artist listed. The only piece of information available to identify it was its title, 'Level Upper'. She contemplated playing the song that could potentially increase her ability level, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice call out to her with a very unique nickname.

"Hey, Flipper," Touma called out as he walked towards her, his Judgement armband visible, "What do you have there, some new song you downloaded?"

"Oh, hi Kamijou," Saten responded, quickly putting away the device, "Just some stupid girly song. Nothing you would like. Why are you here anyway?"

"Uiharu found some potential Level Upper distribution sites, so Shirai and I decided to split up and check all of them, though I'm sure she's found one already. One of those spots just so happens to be nearby," Touma explained with a small laugh, "What about you? You're not here to get a Level Upper, are you?"

"No, of course not. Just out for some fresh air," Saten answered, not wanting to reveal her possession of a Level Upper, "I didn't even know you could get one from here."

Touma gave her a warm smile in response, but his expression suddenly changed to a very serious one.

"Listen, Saten," Touma said in a tone that matched his expression, "I know how you think and that you have issues with being a Level 0, but I need you to promise me something. If you know anything about the Level Upper, or if you've managed to get your hands on one, I need you to tell me. I know Judgement is supposed to arrest anyone in possession of one, but it's for your own safety. I need you to promise me this."

Saten could only remain silent as Touma stared her down with pleading eyes. She knew the Level Upper was dangerous, but she wanted it so badly. Touma looked like he would be understanding, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Yes, they were both Level 0s and they should be able to relate, but Touma had a power in his right hand while she had nothing. She had the higher scores on her System Scans, but she was the one that was powerless. He had the lowest in all the city, but he had the potential to take on every Esper in the city and the Gemstones that formed naturally outside city limits. He claimed to be a normal Level 0, but he was in fact the most unique and puzzling one in the city. How could he possibly relate to her when he was in such a position?

The two Level 0s stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for Saten to answer. However, she never got the chance, since someone let out a scream not too far away from them.

"You said you would give it to me! Where's the Level Upper?!" the voice cried out.

Breaking form their silent conversation, Touma quickly rushed to the corner of the street where he heard the voice, with Saten following close behind out of curiosity. Upon reaching the corner, Touma recognized it as one of the potential locations for Level Upper distribution. Leaning against one of buildings, he peaked around the corner to see three guys ganging up on a fourth guy. From what he could tell, the first three guys had already used the Level Upper, and could potentially be high level Espers. That could only mean bad news for Touma.

"Damn it, this is bad," Touma whispered as he pulled out his phone, "I need to call Shirai and Anti-Skill for backup."

"Can't you deal with them?" Saten asked.

"I'm not sure I can," Touma admitted as he made his calls.

While Touma was pretty confident in his fighting abilities, he was not sure he could take on three potentially high level Espers by himself. It was not like when he saved Kuroko during his first day as a Judgement officers. This time, while the odds were three against one, all three of could have a powerful ability up their sleeves. Touma could only negate so many abilities at one time with his right hand, and is any of them had an ability to keep him from being able to touch them, he had no way to fight back. All he could do was call for backup and hope it arrived soon.

Unfortunately, while Touma was making his calls, Saten decided to come out from around the corner and try to help. By the time Touma had noticed she was gone, the most unhinged looking thug already had a grip on her head.

"Rotten luck," Touma yelled as he came out from behind the corner.

It looked like Touma had no choice. One way or another, he was going to have to fight, right at that moment.

"Hold it right there! I'm with Judgement, and your all under arrest for aggravated assault, so leave those two alone and come quietly!" Touma demanded, presenting his armband.

"You think you're something special, punk?" one of the thugs asked, as if Touma was telling some sort of joke.

"Nah, just an everyday Level 0, but I'm not going to stand by while you go around hurting others just because you have power that's nothing but illusions," Touma said, taking a fighting stance, "especially when the people you're hurting happen to be my friends."

"I couldn't agree more," a familiar voice said from the side of the thugs opposite from Touma.

Coming down the street was none other than Kuroko, someone that Touma was very glad to see.

"Nice of you to show up, partner," Touma commented with a smirk.

"Good thing I did. It looks like your bad luck put you in quite the pickle. No wonder you needed backup," Kuroko quipped.

"Seriously, another one?" one of the delinquents asked in annoyance.

"Relax, these guys will be easy," the unhinged thug said, letting go of Saten's head, "the girl is a kid, and the guy admitted to being a Level 0."

"That's right," one of the thugs yelled as he charged at Touma, "We don't even need to use our powers on this one!"

As soon as he was in range, the thug through a right straight aimed at Touma's head. However, Touma dodged to his right, letting the fist fly over his shoulder. Touma then grabbed his opponent's right arm and threw him up and over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground, incapacitating him.

"I may be a Level 0, but I'm far from powerless," Touma said as stood over the fallen thug, "Unlike you, I don't need a power to help me hold my own."

"Whatever, maybe you can hold your own, but the kid can't!" the other thug yelled as he used his power to pick up some of the surrounding metal.

He threw the metal right a Kuroko, but she teleported out of the way of the attack and reappeared right in front of him. Using her opponent's shock to her advantage, she swung her school bag at his face and knocked him to the ground with a single strike.

"Teleportation, huh?" the last thug, unhinged looking one, said with mild interest, "While it's an interesting skill, it won't do you much good against me. You Judgement types used to scare us, but now that we're stronger, those days are over!"

The thug charged at Kuroko, but she teleported behind him before he could grab her. When she reappeared, she was surprised to see that she was not behind him. Rather, he somehow got behind her and attempted to kick her. Luckily, Kuroko as able to block the attack with her bag, but was still knocked back. Realizing the situation was escalating, Kuroko attempted to use one of her needles, but found that she had completely missed him. At this point, Kuroko was at complete lose for what was happening.

However, Touma could see everything clearly from where he was. When Kuroko tried to teleport, the image of the thug seemed to bend and reposition himself behind her. The same thing happened when Kuroko tried to use her needles, except his image seemed to move forward faster than how his feet were moving. It was as if light itself was bending it an unnatural way.

"Shirai, I got it!" Touma yelled in realization, "He's using his ability to bend the light and project the image of himself somewhere else to distract and sneak up on you!"

"A literal illusion, huh?" Kuroko mused.

"I'll admit, your partner is smart. He honestly seemed a bit stupid," the thug said, "but knowing my power, Trick Heart, isn't going to help you. You can't hit me if you don't even know where I really am."

"Kamijou, get Saten and the victim to safety!" Kuroko ordered, "I'll take care of this guy! you're no good against a guy you can't punch!"

"Are you sure?" Touma asked.

"Don't worry. I just need to find some way to shatter this guy's illusions," Kuroko relied, borrowing Touma's catch phrase.

"Alright then, good luck," Touma said as he picked up the original victim and ushered Saten around the corner.

"It will defiantly be better than yours," Kuroko quipped before taking a defensive stance.

* * *

While escorting the victim and Saten away from the fight, Touma had run into the Anti-Skill officers that he called in. He left the victim in the care of one of the Anti-Skill armored vehicles, but Saten had once again run off while he wasn't looking. Not having time to worry about her at the moment, Touma guided the rest of the Anti-Skill officers towards the scene of the crime. By the time they had gotten there, the building had collapsed, and Kuroko had the thug on his knees in fear.

"I see you took care of things neatly," Touma said sarcastically as he approached his partner, noting the enormous mess she made of the building.

"Save the attitude for later. Now," Kuroko replied before turning her attention to her convict, "what's with the music player? Surely you can do better than that."

"But, the Level Upper," the thug said uneasily, "it's a song."

"What?" the two Judgement officers asked in confusion, completely unaware that Saten was watching from around the corner.

* * *

Now knowing that Kuroko was safe and the thugs were in custody, Saten had distanced herself form the crime scene. Even though this knowledge put her at ease, she was not proud, not in the slightest. The two of them were similar in so many ways, but Kuroko's status as a Level 4 made all the difference. Kuroko was able to fight and collapse entire buildings, but Saten was nothing but a burden, a liability.

'How could a Level 0 relate to an Esper? And how could a Level 0 with no power relate to one with a power as legendary as Kamijou's right hand?' Saten thought to herself, 'I wish I knew.'

While wandering the city, Saten ran into a couple of her friends from school. Like her, they were also Level 0s and struggled with the reality that they had to keep their grades up but had no power to show for it. Eventually, the conversation turned to the topic of the rumored Level Upper, something sought by many, but unattainable to most without paying a hefty price on the black market. In that moment, Saten did something that she would have never done in front of her friends from Judgement.

She revealed she had a Level Upper.

* * *

 **Well, that was fun.**

 **Ya see what I did with the chapter title? Ya know, since Espers are in comas and ever student in Academy City (save for Touma) dreams of having a high level ability and something like the Level Upper to help them level-up faster. Ya get it? Ah, I'm sure you got it.**

 **Looking at the footnote and the headnote now, I wondering if I should do a little more down here. Maybe something like "Taiga Dojo" from Fate/Stay Night VN and Carnival Phantasm. Eh, I'll sleep on it.**

 **I hope you all liked the chapter. Leave a review and tell me what you thought.**


	5. A Level 0's Nightmare

**I'm back everyone! Man, these chapters just keep coming out faster and faster. Guess I'm just really enthusiastic about this story. Don't think this is going to be a regular thing though. I just write when I find the time and post as soon as the next chapter is ready. I just happened to have a lot of free time this week.**

 **Now, before I go into the Q &A, there is something I feel like I need to tell all of you, something I really need to get off my chest. As you all know, I wrote this story with the dub terminology in mind, and I have received several complaints about this detail, despite them being merely nitpicks. I have made it clear I have always been a dub watcher and I say what I am about to say out of concern for the dub industry.**

 **I have come to the conclusion that dubbing companies don't put out many high quality dubs because they do not believe the audience cares about them. The anime community is a niche one in the west, something that companies are well aware of. The community also has the tendency to run through as many anime as possible through subtitles within a season, resulting in any anime that are made to have very short lived relevance, only lasting as a little past the initial runs. The result is companies not spending much on the dubbing of anime and cutting costs where ever they can since they believe that not many people will watch them anyway. This results in hiring cheaper voice actors, not paying for original soundtracks, and lots of cuts and censors to get the shows on western networks. In a twist of irony, the anime communities belief in the stigma of low quality dubs creates those very stigma, something that is really a shame for dub watchers like myself. So please, be a bit more open minded with the dub terminology I use in my story. This is just my way of showing that I care about dubs and that there is an audience for them.**

 **Okay, not that that is out of the way, time for the Q &A!**

 **Awareness Bringer: Yeah, AUs can be pretty fun. Hope you stick around.**

 **Shwae: I'm glad your enjoying it. Sorry if development for the story is a bit lacking. I'm the kind of writer that lets things develop between the moments of chaos. I hope you stick with this story. I will keep going for as long as I can.**

 **jeancampos147: Thanks for the kind words. I hope this chapter alleviates your anxiety for a little bit.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Nice to see the nicknames have grown on you. You really should be more relaxed when you see a potential reference from me. I'm a huge fan of your work, so if you see something that looks like a reference, it probably is. Whether it was intentional or not is a different story. I'm glad I nailed the restaurant scene for you will Tsuchimokado and Aogami. Those two are always a riot to write. I really wanted to drive the differences between Saten and Touma home last chapter, so I'm glad that worked out. I'm sure this chapter will be a treat.**

 **RedSS: Does it really? I've read "Of Science and Magic" before, but I never thought this chapter looked like anything specifically like that story. Guess it was a subconscious decision.**

 **ADude: Thanks for the review. I didn't want this story to diverge too much from canon. The main divergences will be character related, though there will be some event divergences later on.**

 **ALostBlueIdoit: Yeah, that was a possibility I considered. I just thought this path seemed more fitting. I hope you stick around for the rest of the story.**

 **Bluejack222: Well, she won't be safe for long. Heh, heh, heh. (cries in the corner)**

 **RPGPersona: Didn't think that kind of interpretation for the title would come up. I'm glad you like how the story is progressing so far. I'm sure the climax will be particularly interesting.**

 **Guest (1): Looks like you didn't have to wait long!**

 **The Whole Horse: I'm glad to see I have a regular for this story. Don't worry about the dark side of Academy City. With Touma involved, him getting sucked in was predetermined. As for who he interacts with, that is definitely spoiler territory. How you stick around.**

 **Well, let's get to it. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 5: A Level 0's Nightmare

Tension was high in the 177th branch of Judgement. After so much time, they finally had a lead on the Level Upper Case. After a rather destructive investigation of a couple of Level Upper distributers, the officers of Judgement had finally gotten their hands on the rumored device itself. To their surprise, the Level Upper was not a machine or drug, but rather a simple computer file, an audio file to be precise.

Uiharu was currently running an audio scan of the file, with Touma and Kuroko looking over her shoulder. So far, the scans only indicated that the file produces a seemingly random set of beeps and buzzing. No one dared to actually listen to file out of fear of obtaining the same condition as the other suspected Level Upper users. Unfortunately, such an outcome was very possible at the moment, as a small joke was being taken out of proportion.

After musing about the possibility of becoming stronger than Kuroko if she used the Level Upper, Uiharu found herself struggling to keep her friend from plugging in the earphones for the music player containing the Level Upper into her head. Touma himself was struggling as well, desperately trying to keep his fellow Judgement officers from doing something stupid.

Luckily for Uiharu, Kuroko's phone began to ring, forcing her to stop torturing her friend.

"It looks like we've got another situation on our hands," Kuroko said as she hung up, "Contact Dr. Kiyama, will you please, Uiharu? And Kamijou, you come along with me."

"Yeah, I'm on it," Uiharu answered.

"Looks like another long day of Judo throws and face punching for me," Touma lamented as he followed Kuroko out of the office

* * *

True to Touma's words, the two field officers found themselves fighting an endless string of Level Upper users. Every time they arrested one Esper, three more popped up somewhere else in the city. They weren't too much of an issue. Most of the Espers were still relatively low leveled even after using the Level Upper and were just extremely overconfident. Touma barely even had to use his right hand, only ever using in in discrete ways such as punching someone in the face. Still, this went on for five days straight, and the two members of Judgement got their fair share of bruises. Touma was more or less okay, having always been a fast healer, but Kuroko attained so many cumulative injuries that they were starting to hurt if she was pushed too far or touched in the wrong spot.

Currently, Uiharu was tending to Kuroko's wounds while Touma waited in the opposite side of the room for privacy's sake. This time, he promised himself he would not leave that area until he was given the all clear. He already had a washtub thrown at him for such an incident before, he was not about to get attacked with teleporting pins, especially since he would not be able to negate Kuroko's power until he could actually get close.

"It seems like you two are getting bruised up every day," Uiharu observed as she treated Kuroko's wounds.

"There are so many people using Level Uppers now, we don't really have much of a choice," Kamijou said from across the room.

"I'm starting to find it hard to believe you consider yourself unlucky when you're nowhere near as beat up as I am," Kuroko responded.

"I just heal fast. I always have," Touma shrugged.

"I just wish we could figure out how far this thing was spreading," Uiharu admitted.

"Just wishing for it isn't going to make it happen," Touma pointed out.

"That's right. We need a plan," Kuroko agreed, "There are three things we need to do about this."

"First, get the item off the street," Uiharu said, understanding what Kuroko implied.

"Then, help those who have fallen into comas," Touma continued.

"Finally, we arrest the person responsible for creating and distributing the Level Upper," Kuroko finished, "If we do that, we should be able to find a motive."

"Well, let's get you taken care of first," Uiharu said as she started wrapping a roll of bandages around Kuroko's upper body, "Are you sure you wouldn't want Misaka wrap you up though?"

"I would just as soon not have anyone see me like this, much less my Sissy," Kuroko explained, "Speaking of which, you better not be looking, Kamijou."

"Trust me, I know when my life is on the line," Touma called back, "Although I've always taken you for a lesbian masochist."

"What was that?" Kuroko asked threateningly.

"Sorry, Tsuchimokado and Aogami debate again," Touma apologized.

"That seems to be your go-to whenever you say something perverted," Kuroko argued.

"Only because it's true," Touma defended.

"Besides, Shirai, they're pretty accurate," Uiharu joked.

Unfortunately, Kuroko didn't take the joke very kindly and began to violently shake Uiharu back and forth. Unlike Touma, Uiharu didn't have an alibi for making perverted comments and jokes.

"You're really no making this easy, you know that? I hear abuse I just can't ignore that!" Touma complained as he struggled to keep looking away.

However, the sounds of abuse ceased when Mikoto was heard on the other side of the office door. Acting quickly, Kuroko teleported Uiharu to the spot just above the entrance and quickly put on her shirt. Unfortunately for the other girls, Uiharu had reappeared upside down and accidentally headbutted Mikoto on the head as she walked into the room, knocking both of them on to the ground.

"Oh, hey Sissy! Great to see you," Kuroko greeted her now collapsed friends.

"What was that?! Can I turn around yet?!" Touma begged in worry.

* * *

"So, are you guys are making any progress with the case," Mikoto asked, head now bandaged in a cross shape.

"Hard to say," Uiharu admitted.

"We did learn a few things," Touma supplied.

"From what Dr. Kiyama told us, there is a device called the Testament, which is capable of electrically implanting massive quantities of data directly into the brain," Kuroko explained, "However, it operates using all of the five human senses: taste, touch, hearing, smell, and sight. All are at work with this thing."

"But we know the Level Upper is a music file, so the only sense that it uses is hearing," Mikoto reasoned.

"We searched the rooms of all the users that are now in vegetative states, but we didn't come up with any relevant data other than the song," Uiharu added.

"Is it just me, or is the sound of that kettle whistling making it feel hotter in here?" Touma asked offhandedly, taking note of the sound in the kitchenette.

"Please try to say focused," Kuroko complained in exasperation while Uiharu went over to deal with the kettle.

"Wait, I think this idiot might be on to something," Mikoto interrupted.

"I have very mixed feelings about that statement," Touma lamented.

"What do you mean, Sissy?" Kuroko asked.

"Remember that conversation we had when we were eating the shaved ice?" Mikoto responded.

"The one about brain freeze, or my luck?" Touma asked for clarification.

"Not even close," Mikoto answered flatly.

"It's synesthesia!" Kuroko gasped.

"Synes-what?" Uiharu and Touma asked in confusion as Uiharu brought back a tray of tea.

"Something we were talking about the other day," Kuroko explained, "I what occurs when a single thing stimulates more than one of the senses."

"You stimulate one sense with a particular method and others react too," Mikoto explained further, "even though those senses weren't the original target."

"So, you mean, in this case, by stimulating senses using sound, you could get the same effect you would get by using a Testament?" Uiharu questioned.

* * *

After calling Dr. Kiyama about the synesthesia hypotheses, Uiharu had left the office to meet the good doctor and potentially see Tree Diagram, Academy City's greatest supercomputer, at work. As for everyone else, they stayed at the office on standby in case any other Level Upper users started making trouble. In the meantime, Touma and Kuroko decided to use the time they had to take care of some paperwork. With all the arrests they had to make recently, the paperwork had piled up rather high and additional work came with the need of some extra research on synesthesia.

"So… much… paperwork…," Touma said weakly as he pushed aside his most recently finished arrest report.

"The least enjoyable part of Judgement," Kuroko agreed as she grabbed another blank arrest report.

"I sure am glad I'm not you guys right now," Mikoto mused with a stiff smile.

Continuing with his work, Touma grabbed a stack of his finished work and carried it over to one of the file cabinets. However, he ended up stepping on a stray sheet of paper on the floor. With so little friction between the paper and the floor, Touma slipped and feel on his back, causing all of the papers he was carrying to fly into the air like confetti, only less festive.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented as he picked himself up and started picking his dropped papers.

However, he never got a chance to finish as he was interrupted by his phone ringing. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was Uiharu calling.

"Hey, Headband. You at the doctor's place already?" Touma answered, "... Wait, calm down. I can't understand you when you're crying like that. … What? You're kidding, please tell me you're kidding!"

"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked in worry.

"It's Saten," Touma said with a look of disbelief, "She used the Level Upper and is in a coma."

* * *

After hearing the news, Touma, Kuroko, and Mikoto all headed straight for the hospital that Saten was checked into. After checking her in and making sure Saten was as stable as possible, Uiharu took all the data they had collected so far and went straight for Kiyama's office. Mikoto and Kuroko were currently sitting just outside of Saten's hospital room, while Touma was in the room itself after asking for a moment of privacy with the recent Level Upper victim. He didn't stay in the room for long and rejoined the girls shortly after going.

With Touma done, Mikoto lead the group to the roof to get something off of her chest.

"What did you want to talk about up here?" Kuroko asked.

"Saten had a good luck charm. Do you remember it?" Mikoto questioned.

"Yeah, the thing she always had dangling from her bag," Kuroko answered

"Of course, I was the one that told her it was a particularly powerful one," Touma added.

"Yup. She said she got it from her mother, right before she came to Academy City," Mikoto confirmed.

"I remember," Touma said, "She told us a lot of personal stuff that day."

"Yeah, something tells me that wasn't all she wanted to tell us," Mikoto proposed, "but I just froze up. Kamijou here did the best job of comforting her. They can call me a Level 5 all they want, but I'm not any good when it comes to this stuff."

"Come on, that's not true," Kuroko said reassuringly.

"It's the kind of person I am. Someone places a hurdle in front of me and I can't rest until I've jumped over it. That's how I felt about reaching Level 5. It never seemed like anything particularly great." Mikoto mused, "but, I guess there are some hurdles that you can't cross. I never though how difficult it must be to be in that situation. How inconsiderate can I be?"

"Can't be anymore inconsiderate than I have been," Touma said, clutching his right fist, "Seriously, what was I thinking,"

"What are you talking about?" Mikoto asked confused, "You were the most forward when it came to trying to comfort her."

"Maybe, but I probably was the worst person to be saying anything," Touma explained, "She has been a Level 0 for so long and desperately wanted a power, so much so that she resorted to using the Level Upper. Then, she meets me, the guy who is officially the weakest Level 0 in all of Academy City but also happens to be the exception to the rule. I never considered how much it pained her to know someone who constantly insists that he has the same label as her but was anything but. Yet I try to relate to her as a Level 0, despite my power."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Kuroko encouraged, "You were only trying to help."

"Some help I was," Touma spat, "Her jealousy of my power was probably a key factor in her decision to use the Level Upper, and now my power is completely useless for helping her!"

"What do you mean?" Mikoto asked.

"When I was in Saten's hospital room, I tried to use my right hand on her," Touma yelled, walking towards a nearby wall, "I figured that if the boosted abilities are the reason people were being put into comas, negating them might wake the person up. But just my luck, it didn't work! A friend I probably drove into doing something dangerous is in a coma, and I can't do anything to help! Damn it! What good is an ability if it so useless!"

In his anger, Touma punched the wall with his right hand. He punched the wall so hard a little bit of the paint chipped of and his knuckles cracked. He just couldn't stand it. He always helped anyone he could, regardless of whether or not he had any personal reason to get involved. Yet here he was, a couple floors above someone he knew personally in trouble with every reason to help, yet he was completely powerless to do anything.

"Hey, idiot," Mikoto said sternly.

"Wha-," Touma began to yell, but was cut off when something stuck his left cheek.

To everyone's surprise, Mikoto Misaka had slapped Touma Kamijou in the face. The sound of the slap echoed across the empty rooftop, leaving everyone else in complete silence. Touma's cheek burned, as did Mikoto's right hand. Anybody who had known the two students would have expected her to zap him. For her to slap him in the face in such an ordinary manner was quite strange.

"This isn't like you," Mikoto said firmly, staring the stunned Touma in the eyes, "I've known you for a while now, and the Kamijou I know goes to whatever lengths are necessary to help someone, even if what needs to be done is beyond what you should be capable of! In a lot of ways, you're just like me! If there's a hurdle between you and someone that needs help, you'll do whatever it takes to get past it! So, don't give up on Saten or yourself just yet!"

As if to emphasize the last point, Mikoto jabbed her finger into Touma's chest.

"Besides, you always take everything onto yourself! If anything, we're equally responsible for Saten using the Level Upper," Mikoto explained, "I'm only a year older than her and one of her best friends, yet I treat being a Level 5 like no big deal around her. We're both guilty."

For a moment, Touma just stood there with an unreadable. A second passed, and Touma raised his right hand. Mikoto shut her eyes and prepared for the worse. She knew he was already in a bad mood and her telling any guy off like that would make any guy mad, regardless if they cared if she was a Level 5. Touma was an especially dangerous case for her to tick off since his right hand always defended against her electricity, so her Level 5 status was meaningless to him. She still had not been able to land a single hit on him.

Mikoto was fully prepared for whatever Touma decided to do in response to her slap and outburst. Or rather, she thought she was fully prepared. The one scenario she never expected was to have a gentle touch placed on top of her head. Opening her eyes, Mikoto saw that Touma was gently rubbing the top of her head with his right hand. On his face was a smile that radiated nothing but warmth and gratitude.

"Thanks, Misaka," Touma said, "I needed that."

At that point, Mikoto was a complete mess. Not only was he petting her like she was some adorable animal, but he had actually called her by name in a genuinely kind manner. Now madly blushing red, Mikoto quickly threw Touma's hand off her head and turned away so no one would see her expression.

"T-think nothing of it!" Mikoto replied rather forcefully, "I expect you to pay me back somehow, so why not let me help in the Level Upper case so you can get it over with! Besides, I feel like I owe it to Saten."

"Well, I'm not really the one that can decide that," Touma said, nodding in Kuroko's direction.

"I think I can allow it this time," Kuroko answered smiling.

"Thanks, Kuroko," Mikoto said, placing a hand on Kuroko's shoulder, causing her to flinch.

"No, I should be the one thanking you," Kuroko replied stiffly, trying to mask the pain.

* * *

The group made their way out of the hospital, a new sense of determination flowing through them. However, they were stopped by the request of a single doctor.

"Do you have a moment?" the doctor asked.

"Ah! A real Gekota!" Mikoto squealed upon seeing the doctor's frog-like face.

"Calm down, Sissy. He's just a normal doctor," Kuroko said.

"Hey, doc," Touma greeted, "Nice to see you again, especially since I'm not the patient this time."

"Good to see you too, Kamijou," the doctor replied, "I only wish we weren't meeting because someone you know is a patient."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Kuroko asked.

"Kamijou here has a tendency to land himself in the hospital a lot when helping people," the doctor explained, "He's one of my most frequent patients."

"He's work is the best Academy City has to offer. He's one of the reasons I always heal so quickly," Touma added, "I couldn't recommend him enough. There's a reason people call him Heaven Canceller."

"That being said, I have found some information that might help you in the Level Upper case," Heaven Canceller said, gesturing them to follow him.

"What we ae looking at are the brain wave patterns of the Level Upper victims," Heaven Canceller explained, scrolling through multiple charts on his computer, "Brainwaves vary from person to person, so the wave forms should be quite different across the board. However, I've noticed something surprising in this case. Each of the Level Upper victims have a common brainwave pattern."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Kuroko asked.

"It could point to an outside influence," the frog faced doctor answered, "Perhaps someone else is forcing their brains into these particular patterns, and thus controlling the function of their bodies."

"So, someone controlling the Level Upper is tampering with their brains to put them all into a coma," Mikoto summarized.

"Why would someone do that?" Touma pondered, clutching his right fist.

"I'm just a humble doctor reporting my findings to you," the doctor replied, turning to face the group, "Determining the motive is your job."

* * *

Back at the 177th Judgement Branch Office, Touma, Mikoto, and Kuroko had gathered around one of the computers to do a little more research.

"If this really does match a specific person's brainwave pattern…" Mikoto mused.

"… all we have to do is have Uiharu run a search through a data bank and…" Kuroko continued, before realizing something.

"… Uiharu isn't here right now," Touma interrupted, coming to the same conclusion.

"Right, forgot about that," Kuroko said dejectedly.

"Yeah, that's a problem," Mikoto agreed.

"Goodness, what's all the moaning and groaning about it here?" Konori asked as she approached the group.

"Well, since you asked…" Touma said sheepishly before explaining the situation.

Once she was filled in, Konori wasted no time setting up a search on the data bank.

"If that's the case, the first step we need to take is to access the data bank to get the information," Konori explained as she typed.

"What if the data isn't in the data bank?" Mikoto proposed.

"It will be there somewhere," Kuroko insisted, "Data is stored on any adult who has been to the hospital or taken a vocational aptitude test, along with all the students undergoing ability development."

"This city watches everyone like hawks. If there's no information on it, then the information just can't be detected by Academy City's equipment," Touma added.

"Okay, but this is all still really confusing. How could using the Level Upper reprogram someone's brainwaves?" Mikoto asked.

"And moreover, how would doing that raise somebody's ability level?" Kuroko added.

"Not to mention, this is supposedly all the result of natural phenomenon," Touma interjected, "Had it been because of something supernatural, my right hand should have negated it."

"It's like a computer, not even one of those will increase in performance that dramatically just because you're running different software on it," Konori reasoned, "Unless it's connected to a network, anyway.

"So, a computer's performance increases when connected to a network?" Kuroko asked for confirmation.

"Well, individually, there's no major improvement," Konori clarified, "but you can connect a lot of different computers in a parallel network, then their computing power does increase."

"That's it! Whoever is behind this is constructing a network of brains and they're doing it with the Level Upper!" Mikoto concluded.

"It sort of makes sense," Touma mused.

"But how does it work, what's connecting all of their brainwaves together?" Mikoto pondered.

"If I had to make a guess then, maybe an AIM diffusion field," Konori suggested, "All Espers emit a force around themselves without even being aware of it. If those were to be connected…"

"But you said Espers do that unconsciously," Touma pointed out, "Besides, wouldn't different brains be like different operating systems, making it harder to link up?"

"Computers have protocols in place to connect to networks," Konori explained, "So in this case, a single person's brainwave pattern is being used as the protocol for the whole network, but this is just speculation."

"But if a number of brains were connected like that, then they could do a massive amount of computing," Mikoto concluded, "By plugging into the network, a person's ability would increase since the network lets them do much more computing and people sharing the same ability would allow them to better control their powers."

"So, my hypothesis is that the victims' brain activity is being used to power this network," Konori summarized.

Not long after finishing the thought, the search on the data bank brought back a result of a 99% match. However, the group was quite shocked when they found out who exactly the brain pattern came from.

"Can… can it be true?" Kuroko asked in shock.

"Registered name: Harumi Kiyama!" Mikoto read.

"Damn it! We were being played the whole time!" Touma yelled, banging his right fist on the desk.

"What do you mean?" Konori asked in concern.

"Uiharu said she was on her way to Dr. Kiyama's office!" Mikoto explained while Kuroko tried calling her friend.

"I'm not getting through to her!" Kuroko said in concern.

"Contact Anti-Skill and have them take the doctor into custody!" Konori ordered, "But be sure to warn them there might be a hostage!"

"I'm coming along too!" Mikoto insisted.

"Although I don't normally like getting civilians involved, having someone with your power around might be beneficial," Konori concluded.

Giving Konori a nod in thanks, Mikoto ran right out of the office but was followed by Kuroko and Touma.

"Hold on, Sissy," Kuroko called out, "Don't forget, Uiharu is a member of Judgement, she can handle herself if she needs to… probably… if she's lucky."

"Nice vote of confidence," Touma said sarcastically, voicing out what Mikoto's expression was saying.

"It isn't that unlikely," Kuroko defended, "Besides, Anti-Skill is getting involved too. I doubt a scrawny scientist like her will be able to do much against them."

"The lives of thousands of comatose Espers are in her hands, as we speak," Mikoto argued, "Plus, I've just got a bad feeling about this."

"Your right, this could be bad! Which is why a Judgement Officer-!" Kuroko insisted, but was cut off when Mikoto touched her shoulder, causing the Judgement Officer to flinch and hold her injuries.

"Are you in good enough shape to go into action?" Mikoto asked.

"You mean you knew about all mu injuries?" Kuroko responded.

"Yeah, of course I did," Mikoto replied, poking Kuroko's forehead, "You may be strong, but I'm still the older one here. It's been a rough week, so you could turn to your Sissy."

"Thank you, Sissy," Kuroko said with tears in the corners of her eyes and a very visible blush.

However, Mikoto noticed Kuroko wasn't the only one blushing. For some reason, Touma was a little pink himself, and was just staring blankly at her.

"What's with that look?" Mikoto asked in discomfort.

"Oh, sorry," Touma apologized, scratching his cheek, "You just seemed like someone's older sister just now. I can see why Shirai here always calls you Sissy."

Mikoto was stunned by the boy's words. It was rare for him to give her compliments like that, especially any that sounded so genuine. His reaction to her older sister tendencies was particularly surprising. She had never seen him blush before, and he was the kind of guy that was constantly surrounded by girls and discussed them with other boys. Yet here he was, blushing at her displays of sisterly affection. The only she could do was turn away to hide her own blush, something Kuroko was quite pouty about.

"Thanks, I guess," Mikoto whispered, although it was loud enough for Touma to hear.

"Anyway, I'm coming along too," Touma declared, trying to steer away from Mikoto's sisterly tendencies, "after all, I'm a member of Judgement and older than you."

"Of course," Mikoto replied, "Just try not to hold me back."

"I'm the one guy you can't beat in a fight, I doubt I will be a liability," Touma joked.

"We're all counting on both of you, so get out there and get this done," Kuroko encouraged.

"Right!"

* * *

 **He we go! Multi Skill vs Railgun and Imagine Breaker next chapter! The hype is real!**

 **You see what I did with the title this chapter? See, it's a parallel to the last chapter, but at the same time it describes Saten's condition... alright I'll stop now. Still, this was a fun chapter to write. Some comedy here, a little tension there, a bit of character exploration here, and Kamikoto everywhere! As I'm sure many of you know, Touma is into the "Onee-san" type of girl, so I decided to put a little spin on that. Plus, Touma rarely sees this side of Mikoto in canon since she is constantly trying to zap him.**

 **Leave a review if you like! See you all next time!**


	6. All or Nothing

**Here it is, the climax of the Level Upper Arc. This has been a long time coming. I've had an idea of how I wanted this to go down since I started writing this story. I'm just glad that I was able to get this far. I can only hope you all like what I did with this chapter. So for now, let's get on the the QA!**

 **Awareness Bringer: Nice to know I have a compatriot when it comes to using dub terminology. No, I'm not having Mikoto join Judgement. In fact, the episode of Railgun just before the Seventh Mist Graviton Bombing had her learn the Judgement was more than just fighting thugs and that it was not for her.**

 **MrQuestionMark: I hope you're ready for this chapter, because I've been waiting to write this from the get-go! I'm happy to hear you liked the character interactions last chapter. I always thought that the reason that Touma is less cynical post-memory loss was because his lose of memory gave him a fresh start. He no longer had those years of bad luck on his mind any more, so it gave him a chance to better take his bad luck and shortcomings in stride rather than moping over his powerlessness to those situations. After all, being unlucky is basically being a victim of circumstance and unable to change the outcome. I'm glad you liked the comedy. I wouldn't be to worried about Touma's brand of idiocy spreading, it's a brand exclusive to the Delta Force, so expect them to show up more, especially when I cover a certain episode involving one of the most cliche and painful forms of romantic misdirect known to man. Thanks for being so understanding about my dub terminology!**

 **The Whole Horse: Yup, pain is a great way to make you feel sympathy, works about 90% of the time. Also, expect me to milk Mikoto's onee-san tendencies in front of Touma in the future. I can't help it, man, I'm Kamikoto trash through and through.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: I'm glad you liked what I did with the arc and Touma and Mikoto's relationship. Kamikoto is love, Kamikoto is life.**

 **Bluejack222: ;P**

 **ahsoei: Thank you for the criticism. I'll try to pull back on dialogue and add more narration. It's just something that's hard to do when your source material is told nearly entirely in dialogue. Don't worry, everyone will get involved in magic, how exactly it plays out will be a surprise.**

 **Guest (1): I'm glad you liked the chapter. Nice to know there are other dub enthusiasts out there.**

 **Guest (2): Seems a little early for that, but the arm will come off at some point.**

 **Chen (Guest): I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the fight.**

 **ALostBlueIdoit: I'm glad you liked how I handled Mikoto last chapter. She always did have a knack for reading people, at least in my opinion.**

 **Guest (3): Glad you liked the chapter. The Sisters Arc is a long ways off, but it will definitely be a ride to write.**

 **RedSS: Glad you liked the chapter. I'm not giving away any details on what the end ship will be, mainly because I have yet to decide on if I even want there to be an end ship. However, I can say that in traditional "A Certain" fashion, all possible ships will be explored ad some point.**

 **Okay everyone, let's get to it! Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 6: All or Nothing

Having left the branch office in a hurry, Touma and Mikoto were racing to meet up with the Anti-Skill team sent to apprehend Dr. Kiyama. After being informed of where she was predicted to show up, the pair of students hailed a cab and made their way to the predicted location. If they could get there in time, they might just be able to catch the doctor and find out just why exactly she did what she did.

Tension was high in the back seat of the cab. Despite knowing that Dr. Kiyama was only a researcher and nothing more, Mikoto couldn't help but worry about Uiharu's safety. Because of their inability to learn the truth sooner, they let Uiharu walk straight into the lion's den. For all they knew, Uiharu could have been taken hostage, or even made into another one of the Level Upper's victims. Mikoto was overcome with worry and her constant fidgeting was evidence of that.

Touma noticed this behavior and put his right hand of Mikoto's shoulder. Turning towards him, Mikoto saw that he had a look on his face that was equal parts serious, confident, and comforting. His eyebrows were dropped slightly, but he had a soft smile on his face. There was a fire behind his eyes that was both piercing and warm. If Mikoto were to be honest, she thought he looked pretty cool at that moment, like a hero from an anime, manga, or light novel. The image of him as some sort of knight in shining armor or superhero made her blush a little bit, but she quickly shook away the thought when he spoke.

"Don't worry," Touma said reassuringly before staring at the road ahead of them, "Uiharu will be fine. If I can help it, I'll make sure everyone can walk away from this with a smile."

"That's a pretty lofty goal, you know that?" Mikoto asked.

"Maybe, but it's how I honestly feel. I can't turn my back on someone in need, and that included the aggressors of a conflict," Touma explained, "Everyone I've ever met that did something horrible was simply misguided. They convinced themselves that there was no way out of a situation except for whatever terrible path they took. I'm sure Dr. Kiyama is the same."

Touma took his hand off of Mikoto's shoulder and clutched it in front of him. He stared at it for a second before continuing.

"If that's really the case, then I swear, I'll shatter whatever messed up illusion she has!"

At that moment, Mikoto took her own right hand and placed it on top of Touma's fist, returning the same expression he had given her moments before.

"If that's the case, then allow me to help you shatter that illusion," Mikoto requested confidently.

"Sure thing," Touma replied with a smile, "I appreciate it. Don't worry, I'll have your back."

The Level 5 and Level 0 stared at each other for a moment, reveling in this promise they made. However, they were broken out of their exchange by the sound of an explosion going off on top of a bridge running parallel to the road they were on. Checking their surroundings, the pair realized that they were right next to the bridge that Anti-Skill said they were going to intercept Dr. Kiyama.

Stopping the cab, Mikoto paid for their fare and instructed the driver to get clear of the scene. Meanwhile, Touma had called to Branch Office and put his phone on speaker so Mikoto could hear. According the Kuroko and Konori on the other side of the line, Dr. Kiyama was displaying the use of multiple Esper abilities despite never undergoing ability development. She had obtained the theoretical phenomenon of Dual-Skill. This left the only possibility being a side effect of the Level Upper Network.

Using a maintenance staircase on the side of the bridge, Touma and Mikoto climbed up to find most of Anti-Skill forces were wiped out. Security bots were crushed, armored vehicles were overturned, and officers were unconscious on the ground. The entire scene was coated with dust clouds that were kicked up by the scuffle. Nearby, they saw a blue sports car parked in the middle of the road with an unconscious Uiharu sitting in the passenger seat. Rushing to their friend, Touma pried open the passenger seat door and check on her, surprised to see a pair of handcuffs loosely attached to her wrists, as if recently opened.

"How is she?" Mikoto asked, looking over Touma's shoulder.

"She looks fine," Touma examined as he removed the handcuffs, "She doesn't seem hurt, just knocked unconscious."

"You can relax," a very familiar voice said from within the dust clouds, "She just caught an aftershock from the fighting and got knocked out. Her life is in no danger."

Turning toward the sound of the voice, Mikoto and Touma saw the apparent compound Esper standing before them from the settling dust clouds. Dr. Kiyama just stood there, musing about the situation as if it were nothing special.

"Mikoto Misaka, one of only seven Level 5s in Academy City," she said, turning to face the students, "Despite your extensive skill and experience, I doubt you have fought an opponent much like me. Do you think you'll be able to stop me when I have to power of ten thousand minds at my disposal?"

"Misaka," Touma whispered, "I'll make sure Uiharu is okay for now. I'll leave the doctor to you. Just be careful, there's no telling how many abilities she has at her disposal."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine," Mikoto declared before charging, "Of course I can take her!"

Mikoto ran full speed at Kiyama, intending to take her down as soon as possible. However, using one of her multiple abilities, the doctor carved out a slab of asphalt from the road and dropped it from under Mikoto's feet. Luckily, she managed to step off the slab before it fell underneath her. The sudden change in terrain caused Mikoto to lose her footing for a second, allowing Kiyama the opportunity to create a small asphalt explosion, enveloping the Railgun in a dust cloud. Miraculously, Mikoto was able to get out of it rather unscathed.

"Your full of surprises," Mikoto quipped, "You really can use multiple abilities. This Dual-Skill thing is pretty interesting. It should make for an interesting battle."

"You'll find my ability is different in nature and in name than the impossible power people speak of," Kiyama corrected, "It should be called, Multi-Skill!"

Kiyama once again used another power, this time appearing to create a blade made form air. The blade sliced through the ground as it made its way towards the Mikoto, but she sidestepped to her left and barely evaded the attack. She then tried to counter with a lightening spear, but the attack was blocked by some sort of invisible force field that surrounded the doctor, much to Mikoto's surprise.

"Is something wrong?" Kiyama asked, "You knew I could use multiple abilities, but you didn't think I could use them all at once?"

Kiyama followed up her defense with a shockwave that collapsed the section of the bridge they were standing on. Rubble crashed to the ground while Kiyama gently floated down. Mikoto on the other hand created an electric current and induced a magnetic field at her extremities, allowing her to stick to the side one of the bridge's columns by attracting to steel interior.

"That was anti-climactic," Kiyama mused, "I would have thought a Level 5 would be capable of more than that."

Not one to take an insult laying down, Mikoto used her electromagnetism to pull a chuck off of the support column and threw it at the doctor. In response, Kiyama created an energy sword and sliced to rock to bits, like it was nothing. She then cut out the part of the column that Mikoto was sticking to, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Misaka, you okay?" Touma called out form the ledge of the now broken bridge.

"Don't worry about me!" Mikoto insisted, "I'll be fine! How is Uiharu?"

"She'll come to in a little bit! I'll be down there to help in a little bit!" Touma replied before running off to the maintenance stairs.

"Why don't you stop this foolishness?" Kiyama suggested, "There's just one little matter I need to look into further. Once that's done, I'll release everyone. I won't sacrifice anyone."

"Are you kidding me?!" Mikoto yelled in outrage, "'Sacrifice anyone'? What about all the people you dragged into this? What about all the people whose lives you've toyed with? After all you've done, there's no chance you're getting away with it!"

"Good grief, you may be a Level 5, but you still have no idea how the world works," Kiyama lamented.

"Not the twisted world you live in!" Mikoto defended.

"You undergo special ability development on a daily basis. Do you really think everything they do in this city is safe and humane?" Kiyama proposed, "The powers that be in Academy City are concealing something very important about these abilities. The teacher who work here know nothing about it, but they're still developing the brains of their young students every day. Can you begin to understand how dangerous that might be?"

"I'll admit, that's quite the story and I'll be sure to take a nice, long look into it," Mikoto responded, "once I take you into custody!"

Kneeling on the ground, Mikoto manipulated the iron sand around her and sent it rocketing towards the doctor. In response, Kiyama used yet another power and used the surround rubble as a shield, stopping the iron sand in its tracks.

"That will have to wait," Kiyama replied, "I have other things to tend to at the moment."

Using another power, Kiyama tossed a trash can full of empty aluminum cans at Mikoto. The Level 5 recognized this maneuver immediately as a Graviton Bomb Attack. Responding accordingly, Mikoto used her electricity to destroy all of the cans before they could go off.

"That's very impressive, too bad," Kiyama lamented as she teleported a can she had saved behind Mikoto, something that Mikoto failed to notice.

By the time she noticed the can, it was already too late. The can was about to blow! It would have been the end for the Railgun if not for a single boy.

"Misaka!" Touma yelled as he ran towards the Level 5.

Touma positioned himself between Mikoto and the can and stretched his right hand towards the makeshift bomb. The can exploded and enveloped the students in an enormous smoke cloud. The area rang with the sound of the bomb's explosion, masking any glass shattering sound that would have rang had Touma's ability worked.

"I expected you to give me more trouble than that. Is that really all you've got, Level 5?" Kiyama asked as she walked away from the smoke cloud, "I suppose you'll hold it against me."

Kiyama continued to walk away, but stopped when she felt someone grab her from behind.

"Look at that, I caught you," Mikoto mused as she wrapped her arms around the doctor's waist.

"Impossible," Kiyama said as she looked back to see Mikoto behind her and Touma walking out of the dust cloud.

"Word of advice, make sure your opponent is actually down and out," Touma quipped as he approached the fight.

"I'll shock you at pointblank range. It doesn't work on this idiot over her," Mikoto explained, "but I don't think even you possess an ability as out of this world as his is!"

"Not to mention, outright impossible," Touma added.

Not about to admit defeat, Kiyama attempted to manipulate the earth around her and attack Mikoto with multiple stone spears. However, Touma quickly rushed in and swatted all of the spears with his right hand. Much to Kiyama's surprise, the sound of shattering glass rang out and the stone spears all collapsed. She was then immediately pumped with several volts of electricity by Mikoto. When she stopped, Kiyama collapsed, only being held up by Mikoto.

"That's a bit of overkill, don't you think?" Touma asked.

"Give me some credit, I was holding back," Mikoto defended.

Mikoto was about to argue more with Touma, but found herself hearing the voices of multiple children in her head. All of them kept saying the same thing over and over again, 'teacher'.

"Do you hear that?" Mikoto asked.

"Hear what?"

"I think I hear children's voices in my head," Mikoto explained before looking at the unconscious doctor in her arms, "I must have created an electrical current that allowed me to see her memories."

From Kiyama's memories, Mikoto saw the images of several children who appeared to be Child Errors and Kiyama's students as part of an experiment. She saw them shower Kiyama with kindness and affection, and Kiyama grew to do the same for them. However, the memories turned sour when an experiment went wrong and all of the children were put into comas. The man in charge of the experiment, someone by the name of Kihara, ordered that the experiment remain under wraps, not even getting the children medical treatment. The sight shocked Mikoto to her very core, causing her to drop the doctor on the ground.

"What was that?" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Are you okay?" Touma asked in concern, not entirely sure what happened.

"You saw what they… what we did?" Kiyama groaned as she tried to pick herself up.

Up on top of the bridge, Uiharu finally woke up after being knocked out from the fighting. She let herself out of the doctor's car to find the aftermath of the recent battle. She could only imagine what could have happened to cause so much destruction. The sound of someone groaning caught the flower-headed girl's attention, drawing her towards the edge of the broken bridge. Kneeling down, she saw Touma and Mikoto standing over a struggling Kiyama, like some sort of interrogation. Deciding to wait and listen, Uiharu kept quite as she watched to conversation unfold.

"What were they doing?" Mikoto asked, regarding the memories she just saw.

The doctor picked herself up and got on her feet, her back turned to the students as she explained her story.

"On the record of off of it, officially it was designed to test controlling AIM diffusion fields," Kiyama explained, "but the real study was on the effects of pushing an ability beyond its natural limit."

"What?" Touma asked in disbelief.

"They overstimulated the children's AIM diffusion fields in order to study run away abilities first hand," Kiyama continued.

"Then…" Mikoto said in shocked realization.

"… they were intentionally manipulated to run out of control," Kiyama confirmed, "but I didn't realize what was going on until after it happened!"

"Experiments… on children…" Touma growled, clutching his right hand.

"Innocent little kids. And even after all this time, they still haven't woken up!" Kiyama began to yell, "We stole their youth from them, and for what? To turn them into laboratory rats?"

"If something that terrible happened, why didn't you report it to Anti-Skill?" Mikoto asked.

"Twenty-three time," Kiyama answered, "That's how many times I requested to use Tree Diagram. If I could just get access to it, I could use it to find a way to retrieve them! I could run simulations to uncover the true reason for the accident! Tree Diagram is the greatest computer in Academy City, if I had it I could have brought those children back! I could have set them free to laugh and run and play in the park like children are supposed to, but I was always turned down! Twenty-three times, they said 'No'! Don't you get it? The board of directors was in on it! There's no way Anti-Skill would act!"

"There had to be some other way!" Touma insisted, "At least something better than this whole Level Upper mess!"

"You understand nothing!" Kiyama yelled, catching Touma and Mikoto off guard, "I would do anything to save them, anything in the entire world. The whole city can hate and revile me, I don't care! I'm not going to let anything stop me now!"

Suddenly, Kiyama stopped shouting. In an instant, all of the anger she was displaying was replaced with pain. She clutched her head as she screamed in pain towards the sky. Something was clearly wrong.

"Are you okay?" Mikoto asked, suddenly worried for the doctor's health.

"The network…" Kiyama said, ", it's out of control."

Without another word, the doctor collapsed on the ground, landing on the ground face first. A light that appeared to move like liquid emerged from the back of the doctor's head before spiraling upward and taking shape. The end result was something that resembled a fetus with a halo above its head and tentacles of green light trailing from its back. It opened its eyes, revealing a pair of red, white, and yellow eyes that appeared almost human. It then let out an ear-piercing scream, like a baby in pain.

* * *

Back at the 177th Judgement Branch Office, Kuroko and Konori grew frustrated at their current situation. With the earlier fight, all of the cameras had when dead. To make matters worse, Kuroko's phone wasn't connecting either, so they had no way of knowing what was going on at the scene. Not wanting to just sit by and wait for the end result, Kuroko attempted to leave and go to the scene herself, but was stopped by Konori.

"I can't just leave Sissy alone out there," Kuroko insisted, but found herself wincing at the pain of her injuries.

"How can you help her will all these injuries?" Konori argued.

"Well I…"

"You need to have more faith in Misaka. I'm sure she can handle it," Konori said firmly, "Besides, she's not alone. Kamijou's with her. If anyone can be trusted to keep someone safe, Kamijou will. You trained him yourself, right? Have faith in them."

Completely left without words, all Kuroko could do was look at the now static filled camera feed in worry.

* * *

Touma and Mikoto were in complete shock. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it before. Before their very eyes appeared to be a giant fetus made from pure energy. To say that it was a strange sight to behold would be an understatement.

"What is that thing?" Touma asked no one in particular.

"It might be the Metamorpho skill," Mikoto guessed, "I've heard about it before, so I guess it's real."

Without warning, the monster let out another scream, this time releasing a shockwave and some sort of energy attack, the latter of which was aimed specifically at the two students. Acting quickly, Touma stood in front of Mikoto and blocked the attack with his right hand. Mikoto followed up on this by firing a bolt of electricity at the monster, blowing off a chunk of its back.

However, it came as a surprise to the two students when the chunk instantly grew back and added two more arms. In addition, the monster added grew larger to twice it's original size, seemingly disregarding the laws of conservation.

"This is bad, it's getting bigger," Mikoto observed.

"You said this thing might be the result of an ability, right?" Touma asked, "If that's the case, my right hand should make quick work of it!"

Without so much as a second thought, Touma charged right at the monster. He threw a punch at one of the tentacles of light that stretched towards the ground, intending to negate the monster's existence with his right hand. However, he was surprised when the monster suddenly moved backwards, dodging his right-handed punch. This was followed by one of the other light tentacles swinging at Touma's waist, knocking him away form the monster. He rolled on the ground for a little bit before stopping at Mikoto's feet.

"Are you alright?" Mikoto asked in worry as she helped him to his feet.

"I've been hit worse," Touma answered, "That was weird, it was like that thing was actively avoiding my right hand."

Unfortunately, the two students didn't have time to think about the monster's strange behavior. The monster turned it attention towards that pair and created several giant crystal shards from thin air. Knowing what would come next, Touma and Mikoto ran as fast as they could from the monster as it threw several shards at them.

"Hurry, you two!" the voice of a young girl called out.

Looking ahead of them, Touma and Mikoto saw Uiharu peeking out from behind one of the support columns. However, they didn't have time to worry about their friend as four of the shards were getting extremely close. Letting Touma run past her, Mikoto turned to face the shards and used her electricity to destroy them. However, a stray shard got past her and flew towards where Uiharu was hiding. Luckily, a single right hook from Touma was enough to destroy the shard before it got to close.

"Are you alright, Headband?" Touma asked.

"I'm fine," Uiharu replied.

"You shouldn't be down here! It's not safe," Mikoto insisted.

"I'm sorry," Uiharu apologized, "but I…"

"Just stay there!" Mikoto yelled, "I don't know what this thing is, but if it wants a fight, then it can have it!"

Mikoto turned to face the monster, but was surprised to find that it was not attacking them anymore. The most it seemed to be doing was moving off in some random direction away from them. Not only that, but it seemed to be in pain, grabbing at the air like a baby begging for comfort from a parent.

Meanwhile, Kiyama had gotten up after the monster had somehow spawned from the back of her head. She watched as it approached the remaining Anti-Skill officers, prompting them to attack it. The officers unloaded their magazines on the monster, fully intent on destroying it. Unfortunately, attacking the monster only seemed to make things worse, as it regenerated and grew larger faster than the gun fire could destroy it.

All Kiyama could do was laugh and muse at the current situation. The network was out of her control and now on a rampage with no clear way of beating it. Anything done against the monster would only make things worse as it grew in size and power. After all this time, Kiyama admitted to defeat. Her plans were foiled and her hard work lost. She had no way of reviving her students now. She was ready to give up.

"Please, you can't give up now," a very familiar voice begged.

Looking to her right, Kiyama saw that she was approached by the very students that were defying her only five minutes prior. Uiharu was looking at her with pleading eyes while Mikoto and Touma stood behind her, ever cautious about the doctor.

"Is that an AIM diffusion field?" Mikoto asked.

"It's most likely a collection of them," Kiyama answered, "Yes, that's it. I think it would be more accurate to call it an AIM Burst. The AIM diffusion fields of ten thousand people, all bundled up together in the Level Upper Network. They acted as the catalyst to bring to life a monster of latent consciousness. Simply stated, that thing up there is a collection of ten thousand children's thoughts."

"So that explains it," Touma mused as he held his chin.

"What do you mean?" Uiharu asked.

"Remember how that thing dodged my right hand like it knew about it? It must have been because Saten's thoughts make up a part of it," Touma explained.

"That's right," Mikoto realized, "She knew about your hand, so that thing knew as well and purposefully avoided it in order to protect itself."

"What's so special about your right hand?" Kiyama asked in confusion.

"Remember when I asked you if there was an ability that could stop my electricity like it was never there? That's this idiot's ability," Mikoto answered, jabbing a thumb in Touma's direction.

"With a single touch, my right hand can negate anything supernatural," Touma explained, "If that thing is made out of AIM diffusion fields, then a touch from my right hand should destroy it, or at the very least weaken it."

"Why is that?" Kiyama asked further.

Although the doctor was asking, she was still having a hard time believing it. A power that could negate other powers? Such a thing was unimaginable. She would have to look into this boy a bit more when she got the chance.

"During the multiple times Zapper has tried to zap me, I've noticed that there seems to be a specific rate at which my hand can negate things," Touma said, "If a constant source of energy is being provided at a fast enough rate, like a constant stream of Zapper's electricity, then it is possible for a supernatural phenomenon to continue existing or even over power it even if I've touched it."

"If that's the case, we need some way to cut off that thing's energy supply if we want any chance of beating it. Any suggestions?" Mikoto asked the doctor.

"You're asking me?" Kiyama replied with a layer of skepticism, "It doesn't matter what I say, you'll never trust me."

"Then what about this," Uiharu argued, presenting her bare wrists, "You're the one that took off my handcuffs, aren't you?"

"That doesn't mean anything," Kiyama replied, "You can't trust me just because of that."

"That's not all," Uiharu added, looking the doctor straight in the eye, "I know you're sincere about wanting to bring those children back. I can hear it in your voice."

"I agree," Touma said, stepping forward, "Anybody willing to got this far for someone's happiness must have a kind, albeit misguided, heart and genuinely want to help. I should know."

"I trust you," Uiharu said with genuine trust visible in her eyes.

Looking at the girl in front of her, Kiyama could see the face of one of her comatose students. This sight shook her to her very core. She never thought anyone would bestow any trust in her again, especially after what she let happen to her students. The feeling of being trusted, a feeling she didn't think she deserved, gave her renewed resolve to fix her mistake.

"There might be a way," Kiyama said, earning everyone's attention, "Think about it. The AIM Burst is a monster created by the Level Upper Network. If the network were brought down somehow, that might stop, or a the very least make it possible to be destroyed."

"The Level Upper treatment program," Uiharu realized, pulling a small microchip out form her pocket.

"It might not work, but it's worth a shot at least," Kiyama added.

"I'll try to handle that thing," Mikoto said, looking towards the AIM Burst, "Meanwhile, you two get that program to Anti-Skill."

"Not so fast, Zapper," Touma interrupted, "That monster may actively avoid my right hand, but it doesn't mean I can't get a few licks in against it. Even if all I can do is keep it at bay, it will still buy us time for the program to run and make it vulnerable."

"Fine, just make sure you watch my back," Mikoto replied with a smirk.

"That's the idea," Touma said, returning the expression.

"Alright then, let's do this," Uiharu cheered.

"Hang on, one more thing," Touma interrupted, turning towards the doctor.

"What?" Kiyama asked.

Without any warning, Touma slugged her in the face with a right hook, much to the shock of everyone else present.

"That was for causing the whole mess!" Touma yelled, "Sorry, but it had to be done."

"What do you think you're doing, idiot?!" Mikoto asked, "You can't just go punching people in the face like that!"

"You and I both know she deserved it," Touma pointed out.

"That was still a bit much," Uiharu argued.

"Whatever, let's just get this done," Touma said, waving off the topic.

Without so much as another word, Touma ran off to help Anti-Skill with the AIM Burst. Not seeing anything else they could do about Touma's need to punch the doctor, the girls followed his lead and split up in order to take care of their individual tasks. Meanwhile, Kiyama stayed behind, admiring the students that had taken in upon themselves to fix everything. It was hard to believe, but there were still people out there that would trust others without any reason to. Plus, who knew a single teenage boy could punch so hard?

* * *

Up on the bridge, Anti-Skill was still fighting the AIM Burst. Amidst the fighting, the captain of the Anti-Skill Unit called in, Aiho Yomikawa, had been smacked away by one of the monster's tentacles. In her shock, Yomikawa's partner, the bandaged Tsuzuri Tessuo, had failed to notice on of the tentacles approach her. Panicking, Tessuo concentrated her fire on the single tentacle, only to run out of ammo. The tentacle regenerated, growing and additional eye and a pair of tiny arms. It approached the Anti-Skill Officer slowly, freezing her in fear.

However, Tessuo was suddenly knocked away from the tentacle by a metal girder, getting her a safe distance out of the tentacle's attacking range. Now that she was out of harms way, Touma rushed in and punched the tentacle with his right fist, destroy the tentacle and causing the AIM Burst to scream in pain. Once Tessuo landed, she looked to her right to see Mikoto, who had used her ability to manipulate girder into knocking her away.

"What were you just standing there for?" Mikoto asked, "That monster could have killed you!"

"Who are you?" Tessuo asked, ignoring Mikoto's question, "A civilian shouldn't be here! It's too dangerous!"

"Jeez, everybody just has to call me a civilian," Mikoto said in an annoyed tone, "It's starting to get old."

"Whatever, just get away from here, right now!" Tessuo argued back.

"Could you two save it for later?!" Touma yelled, punching another tentacle that the arguing girls failed to notice, "We kind of have bigger problems right now."

"He's right. You're the ones that should get going," Mikoto explained, "That thing wouldn't come this way unless you provoke it with more shooting."

"Even so, we can't just stand down and do nothing," Yomikawa interrupted.

"Miss Yomikawa!" Touma yelled in worry as he crouched down to check on his teacher, "Are you alright."

"Don't worry about me," the Anti-Skill Officer insisted, pointing in the direction the AIM Burst was moving in, "You know what that is over there? An experimental nuclear reactor."

"What?!" Touma and Mikoto gasped.

"Hey, what's that girl doing?" Tessuo yelled.

Looking over to where Tessuo was looking, everyone saw, Uiharu running up the maintenance stairs. It took her a moment, but Yomikawa recognized her easily.

"Hey, that's the girl Kiyama was holding hostage," Yomikawa observed, "She sure is taking her time getting away."

"She's not," Touma corrected.

"Uiharu is no longer a hostage and she's not running away," Mikoto explained, "We need to ask a favor."

* * *

Down on the ground, the AIM Burst was continuing to make its way towards the nuclear reactor. However, it was interrupted when one of its tentacles was sliced off. The tentacle quickly regenerated, and the monster turned toward the reason it was hurt in the first place, the pair of Touma and Mikoto.

"From now one, you're going to be facing us," Mikoto declared.

Not appreciating the sudden interruption, the AIM Burst fired a single energy blast from the top of its head at the pair. In response, Touma stepped in front of Mikoto and blocked the attack with his right hand, negating it instantly. Although the attack was blocked, the AIM Burst wasn't about to give up so easily and fired multiple energy blasts all at once. Once again, Touma blocked the blasts heading for him and Mikoto, but could only helplessly watch as a stray blast hit the maintenance stairs Uiharu was climbing up.

Miraculously, Uiharu was not hurt and the chip she was holding was not damaged. The stairs were now slightly melted by the blast, but she was not about to let that stop her. She had too much on the line for her to stop now. She made a promise to wake Saten up after she used the Level Upper, and she was going to keep it.

When she finally got to the top of the stairs and onto the bridge, the AIM Burst fired another blast at her. Once again, Uiharu was unharmed, but not by pure luck. When the smoke had cleared, she saw that Yomikawa and Tessuo had defended her with a blast shield and were informed about the Level Upper treatment program. The two Anti-Skill Officers were determined to cover her until she could put the program to use, but they grew worried when the monster began to charge another attack. However, the attack never came as the top of the AIM Burst was blasted apart by a bolt of lightning.

"Didn't you hear what she told you?" Touma asked, "When she tells you to do something, it's in your best interest to do what she says."

"We're your biggest problem right now," Mikoto declared, holding out her left hand, sparks forming at her figure tips.

"Give us your best shot," Touma dared, holding out his right hand.

Their battle plan was simple, so simple in fact that it was almost poetic. Mikoto, being a Level 5 Electromaster, focused on offense. She would use her electricity to blast away parts of the AIM Burst's body and manipulate iron sand to slice at it. Touma, with his mysterious right hand, focused on defense. He would block any supernatural projectile thrown at him and Mikoto, ensuring that nothing brought harm to either of them. That was not to say that their roles did not occasionally overlap. If there was too much for Touma to negate, Mikoto tore the attack apart with her electricity. If a tentacle strayed too close, Touma would punch it out of existence. The two of them were a formidable pair. One of them was a spear that could pierce through anything and never missed her mark. The other was a shield that never yielded and withstood any attack thrown at him. Together, they were nearly unstoppable.

Unfortunately, the battle was not going very well. Despite their best efforts, the AIM Burst was able to progress closer to the nuclear reactor. No matter what they did, the monster would just regenerate what it lost. If Mikoto blow off a limb, it would grow back. If Touma erased a limb from existence, it would grow back. So long as the Level Upper Network was up, it would always grow back. The pair of students soon found themselves with the reactor to their backs and the monster closing in in front of them.

"This is bad," Touma observed, "It's getting closer by the second!"

"Why does it even want the power plant anyway? This is straight out of a monster movie!" Mikoto lamented.

Continuing its assault, the AIM Burst fired multiple crystal shards at the pair, forcing them back. In there attempt to dodge, Mikoto found her ankle caught by on of the AIM Burst's tentacles. The monster swung her around for a little bit before tossing her aside. Acting on instinct, Touma rushed over to the flying Mikoto. By some miracle, he was able to catch her just before she hit the ground, but not without skidding across the ground on his back himself.

"You okay?" Touma asked in concern, wincing at the pain of his landing.

"I should be asking you that," Mikoto answered as she got off him and helped him up.

Although Touma had softened Mikoto's landing, he's actions led to leaving the path to the nuclear reactor open. Seizing the opportunity, the AIM Burst rammed through the wall of the power plant, making it one step closer to its end goal.

Acting quickly, Mikoto grabbed Touma's left hand and dragged him up and over the power plant's wall, using her magnetism to walk up said wall. Once over, the pair positioned themselves between the AIM Burst and the facility itself. It was their last stand, they either stopped the monster there or face the consequences their failure to do so.

As they took their final stand, they noticed something playing in all the speakers throughout the power plant, as well as the rest of the city. From what they could tell, it was some sort of music. However, they let themselves be distracted by the music, giving the AIM Burst the chance to grab and restrain them both. It took special care when grabbing Touma, making sure that his right arm was pressed against his body. When it attempted to attack the two of them with one of its tentacles, Mikoto fired a bolt of electricity from her head, destroying it. Much to the students' surprise, the tentacle did not grow back.

"This music," Mikoto realized, "It must be the treatment program! Uiharu did it!"

"If the network is down," Touma reasoned, "then that means I should be able to do this!"

Wiggling his arm, Touma managed to give his right hand just enough mobility to touch the tentacle holding him. The sound of shattering glass rang out and the tentacle holding him was instantly destroyed. However, it was not enough to destroy the whole thing. The most it did was permanently destroy the tentacle. The AIM Burst was just too big for Touma to negate in its entirety.

"Misaka, there's too much of this thing for me to negate!" Touma yelled, "It's up to you to destroy this thing!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Mikoto relied.

In an instant, she released several hundred volts of electricity straight through the monster. It let out a scream of pain that pierced the air as it was repeatedly shocked. When the electricity finally stopped, the AIM Burst was burnt to a crisp. It collapsed on the ground, creating a tremor that was felt throughout the entire power plant.

"Well, the was a cutting it a bit close," Touma admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't relax!" Dr. Kiyama yelled as she limped towards the students, "This isn't over yet!"

"What do you think you're doing here?" Mikoto asked is shock.

Unfortunately, she and Touma was surprised to see the AIM Burst begin to get up again. It was hard to believe, but after the beating it was just given, it was still alive.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Touma complained.

"The network may have been disrupted, but remember, that's a mass of ten thousand people's thoughts created by AIM Diffusion Fields," Kiyama explained, "You can't think about it like an ordinary creature."

"Damn it!" Touma yelled as he got in front of Mikoto with his right hand out, ready to defend.

"What are we supposed to do?" Mikoto asked.

"The nucleus! There has to be a nucleus where the fields have become embedded somewhere inside," the doctor deduced, "That's the key! Find a way to destroy it!"

However, before they could even come up with a plan of attack, the AIM Burst appeared to start talking. It spoke in the voices of all the Level Upper victims, lamenting about their broken hopes of becoming Espers. Touma found himself lowering his right hand slightly. It was hard for him to raise a hand against something that sounded so sad, scared, and innocent.

"Hey, Kamijou," Mikoto said, "I'll take it from here. You make sure Dr. Kiyama stays back and away from danger."

"But…" Touma tried to argue.

"Don't argue with me," Mikoto said firmly, "You've done your part, now let me take it from here. Besides, you said it yourself, it's in your best interest to just do what I say."

"… Alright then," Touma conceded, before grabbing Kiyama's arm to lead her away, "Let's move to a safer distance."

"Why should I care? I'm the one that created that thing," Kiyama reasoned.

"Maybe, but if you want to be able to save those children, they're going to want to see your face," Touma argued, "They can only do that if your still alive when they wake up."

"We'll help you save those children, but we won't help you die," Mikoto added, "You shouldn't give up so easily. Got it?"

While they were talking, the AIM Burst turned its attention towards Mikoto. It attempted to attack her with multiple spike-like tentacles, but she zapped them into oblivious without even looking.

"We don't want you getting tangled up it that thing," Mikoto said before turning to the monster, "I'm the one that's going to tangle with it, right about now!"

She blasted the AIM Burst with a stream of lightning, creating and induction field around it. The heat from the field burned away at the monster's body, widdling it down. When the electricity stopped, the monster combined several tentacles to create a sort of arm. It brought the arm down on Mikoto, but she simply used the surrounding iron sand to slice it apart. When the arm failed, the AIM Burst tried using the crystal shards again, but the shards were blocked and shattered by the vortex of iron sand Mikoto had surrounded herself in. The entire time, Mikoto asked for forgiveness from all of the Espers whose thoughts made up the monster for being so insensitive about their plight of feeling powerless.

All the while, Kiyama watched from the sidelines in pure awe at Mikoto's raw power. She was certain now that Mikoto was not using her full power against her when they fought. Had she did, Kiyama probably would have been six feet under already. On the other hand, Touma just had a small smile on his face. He was just glad that all that power was being directed at someone other than him for once.

The AIM Burst began to charge head on at Mikoto, prompting her to pull out an arcade coin and flip in in the air. Recognizing what she was about to do, Touma stepped in front of Kiyama and held out his right hand, just in case.

"You're going to want to stand back," Touma instructed, "This is going to get a bit messy."

"I understand, but this doesn't have to be it. You can keep trying," Mikoto said encouragingly to the AIM Burst, hoping the Esper behind it's creation could hear her, "Don't stay here and let yourself be defeated. You are not defective, there's nothing wrong with you, so don't give up!"

As soon as the coin fell back down, Mikoto flicked it forward and fired her ultimate weapon, her railgun. The coin shot forward, appearing as some sort of orange laser, and flew cleanly through the AIM Burst. The blast flew out the other side of the monster taking with it a red triangular prism, the nucleus, which promptly shattered. With the nucleus destroyed, the AIM Burst began to disintegrate, disappearing in multiple streams of green light. With that, the battle was over.

"So that's it," Kiyama said, on her knees.

"Yup," Touma mused, his hands in his pockets, "That's a Level 5."

* * *

Later that day, Powered Suits arrived on the scene to secure the power plant and make sure no damage had fallen on the facility. At the same time, additional Anti-Skill personal arrived to take Dr. Kiyama into custody. The doctor was already in handcuffs and being led into a van when Touma interrupted.

"Hey wait, what do we do?" Touma asked, "About the children, I mean."

"I have no intention of giving up," Kiyama said with a small smile, "I'll just have to try again. It doesn't matter if I'm in a laboratory, or a prison cell. They can lock me up, but they can't stop me from planning. However, I'm still not going to be choosy about my methods. If you don't like the plan I come up with, you'll have to come and stop me again."

The students could only watch awkwardly as the doctor got into the Anti-Skill van and was taken away. One thing was for sure, Kiyama wasn't going to stop taking the most direct path when it came to accomplishing her goals, whether it was saving her students or dealing with stained clothes.

As soon as the van was out of sight, a taxi pulled up in front of the group with a screeching halt. From the taxi came Kuroko, who tackled Mikoto to the ground in a hug. As Kuroko began her usual routine when Mikoto was in some sort of compromising situation, Touma and Uiharu could only laugh stiffly at all too familiar sight. However, she stopped her routine when she remembered she had a message for everyone. All the Level Upper victims had woken up, including Saten.

* * *

At Heaven Canceller's hospital, everyone had gathered on the roof, where they found Saten. Touma, Mikoto, and Kuroko stood by the door, where they watched Uiharu and Saten reconcile a few meters away. When the two friends started one of their playful arguments after Saten flipped Uiharu's skirt, one thing was made abundantly clear.

"That settles it, things are officially back to normal," Kuroko observed.

However, Touma and Mikoto both looked at the ground in a rather sullen manner, lost in thought.

"Is something bothering you two?" Kuroko asked.

"Huh?" Touma replied.

"No, it's nothing," Mikoto added.

"Can we really blame the people that used the Level Upper for making the chose they did?" Kuroko asked, reading her friends like open books, "My we are responsible for all this, we Espers who didn't realize how much pain they were in. How hard it must be to live here and not have an ability. That's what you two were thinking, or something along those lines, am I right?"

"I guess you got us good," Touma said with a small smile, rubbing his head.

"I guess so," Mikoto agreed with a small laugh before realizing something, "It seems like you were able to keep your promise too. You made sure everyone was able to walk away from this with a smile."

"So it would seem," Touma said nonchalantly, "It's just what I aim to do."

"That sort of compassion is just like you two. You really are alike in so many ways," Kuroko observed, "And while we're on the subject of compassion, there's on other thing I'd wish you would give some thought to, Sissy."

"Here we go again," Touma lamented with a stiff smile.

"And that is my feelings!" Kuroko finished, leaning in for a kiss, "I deserve some love too, don't I?"

"I should thank you, Kuroko," Mikoto said dangerously as she covered Kuroko's mouth with her hand, "Your unrelentingly, unapologetically, perverted nature has given me some of my strength back!"

"Now, Misaka, let's not do anything we might regret," Touma said, acting as the voice of reason as Mikoto began to spark.

"You want some too, huh?!" Mikoto yelled.

"Rotten luck!" Touma cried as he defended against the shocks Mikoto sent his way while she was zapping Kuroko at pointblank range.

Hearing the commotion, Saten and Uiharu ran up to their friends, laughing, ready to join in on their antics. Everything truly was back to normal.

* * *

 **Now that was a funny chapter to write. I will admit, I cried a little bit rewatching the episodes for this chapter. Those flashbacks just get me every time.**

 **I hope I implemented Touma into the fight well enough. I took whatever knowledge I had on Imagine Breaker, did a little bit of extra research, and tried to make a reasonable scenario for Touma to not make the fight a one-hit-kill while still staying true to canon.**

 **I'll be skipping the swimsuit episode for now (key term for now) and will move on to the additional classes the Level Upper victims had to take. I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised by what I have in store. I'll see you all next time! Fly for the moon!**


	7. Value of Zero

**He we are again! Time for a new chapter! I think this one is going to be pretty interesting. This is where really big shifts in the canon are going to start happening. Trust me, you'll know when you see them. However, this is going to be a shorter chapter. Sorry.**

 **Now, let's get some Q &A done!**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Yeah, that's pretty funny! I was considering sending you a PM to let you know. Sure glad I didn't, that would have been embarrassing. I'm glad you liked the fight. I wanted to make it as believable as possible to Touma to not OHKO the thing. He many be the original One Punch Man, but he doesn't have to end fights just as quickly. I've always saw myself as a bit of a stand up comedian. The timeline is based on a chronology video made by Misty Chronexia on Youtube, which places the Level Upper Arc before the beginning of the Index Arc. If you want to know how I will handle the order of canon events, I would suggest you go watch the video. I think you're going to find what I did with the extra class workshop is a bit more... sophisticated.**

 **RareSilver: I'm glad you enjoyed the story so far. As for the nicknames, I mainly did that to create a greater sense of familiarity between Touma and the Railgang since it is none existent in canon. I might give other characters nicknames in the future, but only if Touma has had no prior interaction with them in canon. As for shipping, considering that we now have three or four different harems in the Light Novels, I'd say its safe to assume more ships will be coming. I should probably update the summary if that's the case.**

 **Bluejac222: Glad you like how the fight was handled. Don't worry, just one more chapter after this and then the Index Arc starts.**

 **MrQuestionMark: I thought you would like how I handled the fight. A little change in pace can really make for a breath of fresh air. I get that Touma randomly punching Kiyama can seem a bit off, but it's not the first time he's done this? Remember the Deep Blood Arc? (As I'm typing this, I realize the irony in that statement.) When Stiyl used Touma as bait to draw away an attack, Touma tricked him into letting himself get punched and bit his tongue as revenge. Touma can be petty at times. It's not totally out of character.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Glad you liked the chapter. As much as I love an addition to a harem, there are lines I don't cross. I'm sorry to say that student teacher relationships that do not involve the ultimate loli Komoe are over the line for me, even if it's for the fandom. I'm not Aogami, I have standards.**

 **acpeters: I'm glad you like the story so far.**

 **ahsoei: Touma can be petty at times. He tricked Stiyl into biting his tongue with an uppercut once after being used as bait. It's not totally out of character.**

 **RedSS: Glad you enjoyed. As for shipping, this is based on a harem franchise. There will still be Kamikuro moments, especially after a certain scene involving a certain other teleport and several hundred kilograms of mass.**

 **narufuuin: I'm still doing the Index Arc, but your treading into spoiler territory there. Sorry.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Hey, I'm just keeping everyone in character. Also, this is a happy place, so let's try to focus on the good.**

 **MaiBilaro: Your welcome.**

 **mohamadstar94: I will try to keep going.**

 **Guest (1): Your welcome to your own opinion, but please try to stay calm about them. This is a happy place. I will say that at least some of your issued have already been planned to be dealt with. Your asking a lot of spoiler questions, so I can't answer them. I will say that the idol spin-off will not be included, but I might create my own idol spin-off if there is enough support for it and I have the time, or I could sanction it to someone else.**

 **Guest (2): I'm going all the way! As far as I can go! Fly for the moon!**

 **LZWriter: Thank you for such high praise! I'm not worthy!**

 **AC phony (Guest): First magic side arc in two chapters.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Value of Zero

Following the events of the Level Upper Case, Mikoto and Kuroko had found themselves with a day off. The two were discussing what they could do for the day at Joseph's, but they couldn't decide on anything. Kuroko had suggested going to see a new romance movie, her intentions clear to anyone that knew her, but Mikoto wasn't overly interested. Mikoto had suggested going to a summer festival over at Seventh Mist after seeing an ad in a magazine. However, Kuroko quickly caught on and deduced that Mikoto only wanted to go because Gekota was involved. The two began to argue over Mikoto's clear love for the frog mascot, but were interrupted by the arrival of one of their dear friends.

"Sorry I'm late," Uiharu greeted, "I hope you haven't been waiting too long. I missed the first bus."

"No, no, don't worry about it," Mikoto insisted, "We only just got here ourselves."

"Hey, Saten's not with you today?" Kuroko noticed.

After a quick explanation and getting herself something to drink, Uiharu surprised her friends with the revelation that Saten had extra classes. The girls could hardly believe it. It was their day off and students from all over Academy City were being called in for extra classes. Apparently, the extra classes were some special workshop. It just didn't seem fair. The girls just couldn't believe how unlucky Saten had gotten.

"Speaking about bad luck," Mikoto mused, "Have either of you heard from that idiot recently?"

"You mean Kamijou?" Uiharu asked with a stiff smile.

"Yeah, he said he was going to be busy today," Kuroko explained, "Something about helping his teachers with their work in exchange for extra credit."

"Just like that idiot," Mikoto huffed, "Always going off to help someone, especially when something stupid like his grades are on the line."

"I wonder what he's doing right now?" Uiharu mused, staring off out the window.

* * *

Elsewhere in Academy City, Saten had just arrived at the top of a hill, where the location of her required special workshop was located. Her destination, A Certain High School. Once she arrived, she also met up with her low-level friends from school, Akemi, Muu and Makochin, the same ones she used the Level Upper with. As the girls made their way towards their classes, they lamented about their lose of a day off and the seeming pointlessness of the lessons. Once again, the conversation brought up their unsatisfied states as Level 0s. However, when asked for her opinion, Saten simply resigned to their fate, much to her friends' disappointment.

When they got to their class, they were surprised to see the variety of students that had showed up to the workshop. No two students wore the same school uniform, save for Saten and her friends and a group of high school students that seemed to be part of a gang. However, the number of students that showed up was lacking. It was not even enough to fill in half the classroom.

However, the most surprising part of the class had to be the teacher. When she first arrived, everyone had mistaken her for an elementary school student. She was extremely short, dressed in pink, and downright adorable. The description was quite fitting, considering the fact she was named Komoe Tsukuyomi. However, she also had a frightening personality. She made academic related threats in the most innocent voice imaginable, somehow making the threats feel more threatening.

As for the lesson itself, it was mostly standard fair. Komoe went over all of the basics of Esper abilities for most of the morning. It was nothing Saten had not heard before. It was all Personal Realities and quantum theory again. However, things took an odd turn when Komoe stopped the lecture a few minutes ahead of time, much to the shock of the students. They had expected at least another half hour of lectures.

"Okay, that's it for the morning lecture," Komoe announced, "but before you go for lunch break, there is someone I would like you all to meet. He is a student of mine and a Level 0 like many of you. Many people would say he is the ideal Level 0."

Many of the students in the room could only ponder and who this person could be. The few enthusiastic students thought he would be someone that was super strong and respected despite not having an ability. The more cynical students, specifically the high school gang member, thought he would be some weak nobody that was completely complacent and a total pushover. As for Saten, she didn't know what to think.

"Okay, you can come in now," Komoe called.

The door to the classroom opened up and revealed somebody Saten would have never suspected.

"Hello, my name is Touma Kamijou," Touma introduced himself as he walked in, "It's nice to meet you all."

"Kamijou?" Saten asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey Flipper," Touma greeted, ignoring Saten's question entirely.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Komoe asked.

"She's a friend I met through Judgement," Touma explained, not thinking much of the situation.

"As for why Kamijou is here, he is here to give you all a one-on-one experience with someone who lives the life of a Level 0, but still finds fulfillment in it," Komoe said, answering Saten's question, "But before that, I believe that you have something you wanted to tell everyone before you got started, Kamijou?"

"Right," Touma responded.

He took a deep breath before speaking directly to the entire class.

"I don't want to betray your trust when I council all of you should you find this out latter, so I'm just going to come clean now," Touma said, "Despite being a Level 0, I do possess an ability. My right hand is capable of negating anything supernatural that comes in contact with it, thus letting me negate other abilities. However, do to how it works and Academy City's classification system, I have been labeled a Level 0 and have lived the same kind of life as the rest of you."

"Wait, you're just going to come right out with it?!" Saten asked in shock.

"Of course, he doesn't want you all to think he intentionally lied to you," Komoe explained.

"Besides, one of my teachers was present when I was helping to fight that monster that was born from the Level Upper and saw me use my power first hand so Miss Komoe already knew as well," Touam added.

"That's just a load of crap!" the leader of the high school gang yelled, "As if such a power exists, let along in the hand of a Level 0!"

"Whether or not you believe me is up to you," Touma replied calmly, "I just want you all to know that regardless of me having an ability, I am just a Level 0, just like all of you. My power does me no favors when it comes to life here in Academy City, but I still make the best of my situation. I come to school, I hang out with friends, manage what little money I get from the city as an Esper, and I help people around me, regardless of whether or not a power would be useful or even needed."

"As you can see, Kamijou here is proof that even someone without a power can be worth something in Academy City. Despite his limitations, he still does what he can to be of use, and even goes beyond what many people would think his limitations are," Komoe added, before noticing the time, "That will be all for now. I'm sure you'd all like a nice long lunch break, but please don't be late for the afternoon class. It's for your own good, I promise."

Having said their piece, Komoe and Touma left the classroom to have their own lunch break. As soon as they were gone, the students prepared to have their lunch breaks as well, but a good handful of students had gathered around Saten after seeing her casual exchange with their guest student speaker.

"Do you really know each other, Ruiko?" Akemi asked, "Is he your secret boyfriend or something."

"No, he's nothing like that. We're just friends," Saten explained, blushing at the implication, "Besides, I'm pretty sure Misaka has a thing for him."

"The Level 5 you hang out with?" Muu asked for confirmation, "I get that she's actually pretty down to earth, but surely she could do better than him."

"You'd be surprised, he's actually a pretty nice guy," Saten replied, "From what I hear from his friends at school, he's actually pretty popular with girls. Rumor has it that his teacher even has a crush on him, although I never thought she would look so young."

"You're kidding!" Makochin yelled in shock.

"What about his ability? Was he telling the truth?" one of the other students asked.

"Yeah, he's telling the truth. I've seen it first hand," Saten answered, "When Misaka first introduced me, Uiharu, and Shirai to him, she got mad at him and tried to zap him with a blast of electricity much more powerful that what she normally uses when someone annoys her. He defended against it with his right hand like it was nothing. It's actually a normal interaction for the two of them."

The surrounding students could hardly believe what they were hearing. This seemingly normal high school boy that was labeled a Level 0 like so many of them had been apparently had an incredible ability. Despite this, he went through the same struggles everyone else with low levels did, like lower funds from the city and extra classes from lacking development points. They even had an eyewitness for this apparently spectacular power. The idea had filled the students with optimism for their own ability development, even if it was only a little optimism.

However, some students had remained skeptical, especially the high school gang. They had given up on such optimistic ideas a long time ago. A single glimmer of hope wasn't going to change that for them at this point. Even the students that believed weren't entirely happy with the news. Some of them felt jealousy and envy at Touma's special case. Why should he out of all Level 0s have such an amazing ability?

Regardless of what everyone thought about Touma and his ability, the truth was out and confirmed to more people than ever.

* * *

After lunch, the students, Touma included, all gathered around the field behind the school. Touma was helping the teacher in charge of their physical training, Yomikawa, set up a track for an insurance run. After getting introductions out of the way, all the students were instructed to make as many laps as possible at their top speed. When they believe they couldn't run any farther, they were to raise their hands to give up. However, when people did raise their hands, they were told to keep running anyway. No one was very happy with the situation, but Touma seemed rather motivated. He just kept running along with everyone else, not letting anything stop him, not even his own exhaustion. He even tried to motivate the students slowing down as he ran past them. Unfortunatly, some students were extremely vocal about their displeasure with the situation, specifically the high school gang leader.

"You call this training?!" she asked in outrage.

"I certainly do," Yomikawa replied calmly.

"How can you?! All you're doing is put us through the ringer!" the high school girl accused, grabbing Yomikawa's tracksuit, "Why not go ahead and call this what it is? It's punishment! Admit it, lady, the whole point of this workshop is to punish us!"

"It's nothing of the sort," Yomikawa said without skipping a beat.

"Then why do you have us running until we're too exhausted to move?"

"The point is to teach you how to overcome your limits. Look at him," Yomikawa replied, nodding towards a running student that Saten recognized as student that tried to buy a Level Upper off of a couple of thugs off the street, "He was the first one to raise his hand, yet he's still running. And then there is Kamijou just ahead of him. He is clearly just as exhausted as the rest of you, but he's still going full speed. He's trying to set an example. When you convinced yourself you can't do any more, you're finished, even though you might still have some strength left that you're just unaware of."

This explanation caught the high school girl off guard, but she didn't let go.

"Her for instance," Yomikawa continued, looking at Saten on the ground, "So sure she couldn't go on until she ran another lap. Where do you think that strength came from? The same applies to developing your abilities. What I wanted to teach you today was to not decide so quickly what your limits are."

"Oh, please! Don't give me that crap," the gang leader yelled, throwing a punch.

However, Yomikawa caught her fist and threw her onto the ground with ease. Noticing the time and the ensuing rain approaching, Yomikawa decided it was time to stop the physical training for the day. She called everyone back inside to get changed and to have their afternoon lesson. However, Saten stopped for a moment when she noticed Touma help the young man who kept running make his way into the building. There was just something to marvel about the two students that surpassed every limit many people would have expected of them.

* * *

Before the start of the afternoon lesson, Komoe was told about the students' belief that the workshop was a punishment for Level Upper users. She took it into her own hands to set them straight.

"It appears that some of you may had jumped to the wrong conclusion," Komoe explained, Touma stand right behind her, "So before we continue, I want to clarify something. Please understand, this workshop was not intended to be a punished for those who used the Level Upper. Certainly, your actions were far from acceptable. It would have been better had you resisted the temptation to use that device to augment your abilities. However, we do not want you to feel a disproportionate sense of shame or remorse for having done so. As far as punishment goes, I'd say slipping into a coma should suffice. That's a far more harrowing experience that a workshop. You've already payed for your transgressions the hard way. So instead of feeling sorrow or bitter, why not make the most of your experience."

"The promise of stronger abilities many have been an illusion, but the potential you all shown while using the Level Upper was not," Touma added, "The Level Upper let you break the limits you had believe you had, albeit temporarily, so now it is up to you to break those limits yourselves. "

With that said, they continued the last class of the Level Upper. Komoe told everyone to focus on the time they used the Level Upper and what it was like to use their enhanced abilities. She wanted them to try to gain create new personal realities using these experiences, or at the very least reaffirm their foothold on the personal realities they had in place. When the class was over, everyone went to get a System Scan. All Saten could do was hope for the best.

* * *

At the end of the day, Saten was not surprised in the slightest to see that her Level had not increased. Regardless, she had taken what she had learned in the workshop to heart. With a new sense of determination, Saten resolved to get even stronger, no matter how long it took or what limits she had.

As she left the building, she was surprised to see Mikoto, Kuroko, and Uiharu at the base of the hill waiting for her.

"All finished, Saten?" Mikoto asked.

"We wanted to come by and pick you up, how did it go?" Uiharu called out with a wave.

"What was the hold up? You took so long coming out of there, we thought you had already left and headed for home," Kuroko explained.

"You should have seen it, Saten," Uiharu added, "Without you, we weren't able to decide on a single thing to do."

"Sorry about that!" Saten yelled as she ran down the stairs to join her friends, "I was waiting for someone."

"Who?" Mikoto asked.

"Hey Zapper, Headband, Pigtails!" Touma called out as he walked up from behind the hill, "Didn't expect to see you guys here."

"What are you doing here?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Didn't Pigtails tell you I was helping my teachers today? This is my high school," Touma explained.

"Well, now that everyone's here, how about we see a movie?" Kuroko suggested.

"I still think we should head to the event at Seventh Mist. Doesn't that sound fun?" Mikoto offered.

"How about the pool then?" Saten asked.

"Saten, you're not making this any easier!" Uiharu yelled in exasperation.

"Then you decide, Uiharu," Kuroko insisted.

"If I may make a suggestion," Touma interrupted, "Why don't I treat you all to a meal over at my place? It's getting pretty late and I have a couple of extra ingredients laying around at home."

Upon the promise of food, all the girls' stomachs growled at the same time.

"I guess that settles it," Uiharu laughed, "Kamijou does make some of the best meals."

"I'll race you guys there!" Saten yelled, running off.

"Oh no you don't," Kuroko responded, teleporting after her friend.

"Shirai! No teleporting! That's cheating!" Uiharu reprimanded as she tried to keep up.

"Hurry up, idiot!" Mikoto laughed as she left the poor Level 0 in the dust.

"Rotten luck! Wait for me! I'm the one that's cooking!" Touma yelled as he chased after the girls.

* * *

 **I hope you all liked that chapter! Sorry it was shorter than usual. Leave a review if you like.**

 **Best guy and girl, thank you very much!**


	8. Beach Day

**Hey everyone! Last chapter before we get to the Index Arc! Before we start, I feel like I should apologize to all of you. I should have made it more clear that I was going to do the swimsuit episode before I got to the Index Arc. I mentioned it in one of the review responses of the last chapter and said I was going to skip the episode for the time being in the chapter before that, but I should have made it a more general statement in the last chapter. I only realized I forget to tell of you after a few reviews came in, so by then it was too late to add it to the end note of the chapter. Sorry about that! I'll try to be more careful about it in the future.**

 **Now that that is out of the way, Q &A time! Also, I should clarify that unmarked Guest reviews are numbered base on which ones appear earlier in the review page, just in case that wasn't clear.**

 **narufuuin: Thank you for being so understanding about spoilers. I totally get where you're coming from when it comes to skepticism about how Touma's decision will affect the story, but that's exactly what I'm playing with. Imagine Breaker has always been met with skepticism, especially among people on the Science Side. Even if word gets out, only a handful of people will actually believe the stories while the rest continue to believe it to be just a rumor. No matter how fast information travels, if an idea is thought as fake, it has no weight. The higher ups would probably be aware of that not not worry too much. I can totally I agree with the Yomikawa part, though. That was what I was going for with Touma's high endurance during the last chapter.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: I'm glad you feel like I'm writing something that would have been in the anime. I always try to replicate the original flavor of a franchise when I write a story. Nice to see there is fellow Kamikoto trash reading my story.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Trust me, I know that age matters less in a relationship when you get older, my own parents have a ten year age gap. It's just not something I'm comfortable writing when one of the characters is a student and the other is a teacher that is clearly an adult. The only reason Komoe is the exception for me is because it makes for a great gag (gag as in joke, not the reflex). Still, thank you for being so understanding and for all the support.**

 **mohamadstar94: Here you go.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Sorry, man, spoiler territory. You should know the rules by now. I totally understand where you're coming from when it comes to Tsunderes. If done wrong, they become less of a funny gag and more of an annoyance. Still, thanks for the support.**

 **Bluejack222: Glad you liked the end to the Level Upper Arc. Sorry again for the misinformation. I still hope you find some joy in this chapter before we move to the Index Arc.**

 **PvtNevets: Will do!**

 **MrQuestionMark: I'm happy you liked how I'm handling the AU. Your words are such a confidence booster, you have no idea. I have a lot of deviation from canon planned up ahead, but you'll have to wait and see what they are. Hope the eagerness doesn't kill you before I post the next chapter. Speaking of which, is that a Gate of Babylon behind you?**

 **2remember: She will show up next chapter during the Index Arc.**

 **RedSS: Don't worry, you'll see a little bit of light KamiKuro in the near future. You now just know when they will really pick up.**

 **ahsoei: The nicknames are meant to be affectionate, mostly being used greetings, light jokes, and casual conversation.**

 **GhostofTime: Spoilers, man! I have a very strict "no spoiler" policy! I thought I made that clear in other chapters! In all seriousness though, I really can't give that away right now. Sorry.**

 **RareSilver: No worries about the rant. That was a rather creative scenario you made there. Makes me wish I took the time to write it myself. Glad you like the story!**

 **Shwae: Thank you for your support. I'm glad I earned your trust when it comes to keeping up to date. Also, I looked it up, and I found no requirement of someone being at least a Level 1 to be a Judgement Officer. I hope you enjoy what I have in store.**

 **MaiBilaro: You're welcome.**

 **RPGPersona: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Something tells me you're going to be rather surprised by some of my deviations form canon in the future.**

 **Handsomistic1: Not true, he's constantly chasing girls when he is trying to save them.**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Glad you liked the chapter. While this is kind of a spoiler, keep in mind that Imagine Breaker is always met with skepticism, especially among people of the Science Side. While problems are sure to rise for Touma, they may not be for a while if no one actually believes that Imagine Breaker exists yet.**

 **Guest (1): Gald you liked the chapter.**

 **DarkPERV (Guest): You bring up many fair points with your concerns. Allow me to counter all of them with a single one. Skepticism. In canon, Imagine Breaker is always met with skepticism, especially from the Science Side. No matter how many people hear about Imagine Breaker, it will have no effect if most of those people don't believe it to be true. Remember, Imagine Breaker was already a huge rumor on the web and the Higher Ups didn't even bat an eye. They know that the extremely scientific minds of Academy City aren't going to buy the existence of a divine power like Imagine Breaker without hard evidence, something that is hard to provide when most of the information is third hand and on the web. No matter how big the reveal, if people think it holds no weight, it's not going to do anything.**

 **AC phony (Guest): Oh, I'm doing the Index Arc! Of course, no spoilers!**

 **Guest (2): That is a whole pile of spoiler questions, my friend. As much as I might want to, I cannot allow myself to answer any of them. Sorry. Still happy you like the story so much!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Beach Day

It was just like any other day in Academy City. As per usual, one Touma Kamijou was being dragged along by his friends Tsuchimokado and Aogami into another one of their many idiotic exploits. Why Touma constantly let them do this to him, he had no idea. Regardless, he was coming along with them whether he wanted to or not.

Apparently, Aogami had caught wind of a swimsuit photo shoot happening within city limits. After telling Tsuchimokado about it, the two of them devised a plan to sneak into the swimsuit company's studio and get an up-close look at the photo shoot. Being such wonderful friends, they of course let Touma in on the place and brought him along with them.

Their plan was quite simple. They would hide in the bushes just outside of the photo studio and wait for the models to arrive. Afterwards, they would tail behind the models into the building while remaining hidden. If they were feeling extra dangerous, they would attempt to peek in the changing room before following the models to the photo shoot itself, where they would watch from a completely hidden hiding spot. The plan was so simple it couldn't possibly go wrong!

Of course, with Touma's luck, that plan went south immediately when they saw who exactly the models were. To Touma's complete shock, Aogami had failed to realize that the models for the photo shoot were Touma's friends from Judgement and a few other girls for Tokiwadai Middle School. Things only went even faster down hill when Mikoto's 'pervert sense' (a skill she developed from dealing with Kuroko) went off, prompting her to fire a lightening spear at the bush that the boys were hiding in. Forced to flee their hiding spot, the boys were discovered by the group of mostly middle school girls, most of which were of high ability levels and could cause a lot of pain. It was fight of flight, and two thirds of the Delta Force chose flight, leaving Touma to deal with his very angry Level 5 friend.

"Care to explain what you're doing here, idiot?" Mikoto asked threateningly, her bangs sparking.

"It was all Tsuchimokado and Aogami's idea, I swear! I was just dragged into this!" Touma pleaded on his hands and knees.

"Excuse me, do you know this young man?" the woman in a business suit asked.

"Yes, he is a good friend of ours," Saten explained.

"He just tends to get dragged into a lot of crazy situations by his friends who just left," Uiharu added, "Please forgive him.

The woman took a moment and examined Touma, noticing his slightly above average build.

"Young man, what is your name?" the woman asked.

"Um, Touma Kamijou, ma'am," Touma responded, getting off his feet and standing straight.

"Could you do us a favor and act as an additional model?" the woman requested.

"Huh?" everyone else responded in utter confusion.

"You see, we have a line men's swimsuits we were planning on showing off in a separate photo shoot next week, but were couldn't get any models," the woman explained, "If you would be willing to model one of them today with your friends here, it would really be appreciated."

"Won't it be a bit awkward having a single guy in the same photo shoot with a bunch of girls, especially when most them are younger?" Kuroko reasoned.

"Don't you know anything about modeling, Shirai?" the girl in a kimono said smugly, holding a fan in front of her face, "The point is to be seen. If a model can't handle being seen by a man while modeling, then she is a bad model. This friend of yours should be honored to even be considered for the chance to work alongside me on this project."

"… Who are you exactly?" Touma asked obliviously, earning a barely contained laugh from Kuroko.

"I'm Mitsuko Kongou," the girl introduced herself, "Surely you've heard of me."

"Not at all," Touma replied flatly, causing a giggle to escape Kuroko's lips.

"So, what do you say? Are you will to help us?" the woman asked again, getting back on topic.

* * *

After a little bit of convincing, everyone agreed to let Touma join the photo shoot. From a business and marketing standpoint, it made sense. If a guy saw a photo of another guy surrounded by girls while wearing one of the company's swimsuits, he would surely be more likely to buy one to try to replicate the same result.

The girls had all gathered in an empty white room, waiting for Touma to arrive. He came in a few minutes later than everyone else. Apparently, the door to the men's dressing room had gotten stuck with him inside.

"Sorry I'm late," Touma apologized as he walked in, scratching the back of his head.

Upon seeing his outfit, the girls couldn't help but admire him for a minute. He wore a simple pair of blue swim trunks, but they worked well with his overall figure. He had also taken a note from Tsuchimokado and wore his white button-down shirt open, revealing his bare chest. He was by no means incredibly buff, but he was well built, having a slightly above average build. He seemed like a perfect balance between realism and fantasy; something attainable, but at the same time ideal.

After a minute, Touma noticed the girls were staring at him for a bit too long.

"Is everything alright? Touma asked in concern.

"Oh, it nothing," Mikoto replied, turning away to hide a blush.

"We just thought that swimsuit fit you well," Uiharu explained.

"Thanks, I guess," Touma responded, not seeing what the big deal is.

"So, Kamijou, what do you think?" Saten asked, making a pose, "How do we look?"

"You all look great," Touma answered, but paused when he took a good look Kuroko and Zapper, "although I must admit Pigtail and Zapper's choices are a bit odd."

"What's wrong with our choices?" Kuroko asked, clearly offended.

"Well, for one, Pigtail's swimsuit is a bit lacking in substance, unsurprising," Touma explained, holding his chin in thought, "It looks like something my mom would wear for my dad, something that scares me a little bit."

"What the hell is with your mom's taste in swimsuits?!" Saten asked in shock.

"Apparently, my dad was a lady's man when he was younger, and my mom had to get really competitive in order to win him over," Touma replied, "I've been told I take after my dad in that sense, but I honestly don't see it."

'How can he not?' Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, Uiharu, and Konori thought to themselves.

"So, what's wrong with my swimsuit?" Mikoto asked shyly.

"Well, I'm not saying it doesn't look good on you, because it does," Touma answered awkwardly, causing Mikoto to blush, "It's just that it doesn't seem to fit you, like it's something you chose to wear out of embarrassment of your actual tastes."

'When did he get so good at reading people?' Saten and Uiharu thought to themselves.

"Wh-what do you know?" Mikoto said with a huff, not wanting to admit he was right.

Moving past the topic of swimsuits, Touma took a look around the room they were in.

"Are we really going to shoot in here?" he asked skeptically.

To answer his question, the woman who lead them in, who happened to be the swimsuit manufacturer's general manager, pressed a button on a remote. Nearly instantly, the blank room became a scenic beach shore with white sand, palm trees, and a beautiful ocean front. Upon closer inspection, the group found that it was possible to touch the projections. The general manager explained that the studio was designed to create any location of a photo shoot, changing the studio setting several times to demonstrate the studio's capabilities.

"I have to admit, this is impressive," Touma said, "Aogami would kill to have something like this. He always said he wanted to bring his video and card games to life and make them tangible."

"So, who's going be shooting the photos?" Uiharu asked shyly.

"All the photography is automated," the general manager explained, "The camera will never be inside you're field of view, so you don't have to worry about it. Just act natural."

"You do realize that's actually even creepier in some ways, right?" Touma asked dryly.

* * *

As soon as the general manager had left them to themselves, Kongou immediately started posing on top of a beach chair. Clearly, this was her definition of acting natural.

"This girl is quite the airhead, isn't she?" Touma commented.

"You have no idea," Kuroko added with a small laugh, "It's actually quite fitting, considering her personality and her power is Aero Hand, the ability create ejection points for jets of air."

"Guess I'll be calling her Airhead from now on," Touma said nonchalantly.

"I approve of that nickname," Kuroko replied with a thumbs-up.

"Still, nothing about that looks natural at all," Mikoto noted, watching Kongou continue to pose.

"Come on, Sissy. We need to play our parts too," Kuroko claimed.

"What parts do you mean?" Mikoto asked.

"Oh, you know. You're the sexy beach babe I apply suntan lotion to," Kuroko said, drooling with a perverted gleam in her eyes.

"Not again! I said no!" Mikoto yelled as she ran away, Kuroko hot on her heels.

"Rotten luck. Now I have to go break them up before someone gets hurt," Touma lamented as he joined in the chase.

"Now I get it, that's totally natural for them," Konori noted as the rest of the girls watched the group's antics.

"Yeah, that's Misaka for you. she always sets a great example," Wannai commented.

"And just like Kamijou to try and help someone like that," Uiharu added.

"What do you say, everyone? Should we follow their cue?" Awatsuki suggested.

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

Soon enough, the photo shoot got underway. Of course, plenty of antics took place during this. The entire time they were on the beach, Mikoto was being chased by Kuroko, who was being chased by Touma. Eventually, Touma ended up tripping over a rock during the chase and crashed into the sand castle Saten was building around Uiharu. This accident left the castle destroyed and Touma and Uiharu buried under a pile of sand, much to Saten's amusement. Having failed to stop Kuroko's perverted pursuit, Touma could only watch as Mikoto performed a suplex on Kuroko into the sand.

Soon after, the beach setting changed to that of a beach resort pool. After that last experience, Touma decided to just rest in on one of the lawn chairs. However, Uiharu and Saten came up to him and pulled him out of it, shoving him towards to pool to go swimming. Unfortunately, the path he was shoved along ran right through Mikoto and Kuroko, with the former bending the latter over her shoulder as punishment for trying to take advantage of a stretching exercise. As a result, Touma crashed into the two girls, knocking them and himself into the pool, where they arose with Touma having an arm over each of their shoulders.

Once they got out of the pool, the scene shifted again to that of a yacht. The group explore the yacht for a bit, taking in the view of the synthesized ocean in front of them. Touma and Saten got an especially beautiful view as the two were at the bow of the ship, mimicking the iconic "king of the world" scene from a certain movie about a tragically sunken ship. For once, Touma was actually enjoying himself during the photo shoot.

Unfortunately, Touma's joy was not to last. Soon enough, the scene changed again, this time into a blizzard in a frozen tundra. Why such cold conditions were programmed in for a swimsuit photo shoot, the group had no idea. Everyone tied to stay as warm as they could, something made more difficult by their lack of appropriate clothing for the weather.

"What the hell is up with the blizzard?!" Touma yelled as he hugged his now closed shirt, "This doesn't make any sense!"

"That's what makes a real model! Whatever happens you get the job done!" Kongou gloated as she laid on the ground before sneezing from the cold.

"Keep telling yourself that, Airhead," Touma responded flatly.

As Touma said this, the scenery changed from the cold tundra to a hot desert. Due to the sudden change in temperature, Kongou sprung up from the ground in pain as she was suddenly burning.

"From too cold to too warm," Mikoto complained.

"Way way too warm," Uiharu clarified.

"Why did that program in such extremes?" Saten asked.

"Seriously, this is getting ridiculous," Touma lamented, holding his shirt over his head for shade.

Kongou begged for water to help her ease the pain of her burns. However, she didn't expect the scenery to suddenly change into a small boat in the middle of a raging storm.

"Rotten luck!" Touma cried as he and the rest of the girls grabbed onto anything they could for stability.

"Like I said, what's with all the extreme weather?" Saten asked again.

"If they want to put us on a boat, could they at least make if comfortable?" Awatsuki begged.

After struggling with the weather for a little bit and watching Kongou reel in a large tune, the group found that scenery had changed yet again. The weather was much calmer and the sky was full of stars. However, Mikoto soon noticed something odd about the sky.

"Looks a lot like the earth," Mikoto noted, pointing towards the celestial body in question.

"You've got to be kidding me! The moon!" Touma yelled in realization, "This is getting way out of hand!"

"At least's it's pretty," Saten reasoned.

"Hey guys, look over there!" Kongou yelled, pointing at something in the distance.

Off in the distance of the lunar surface stood, to everyone's confusion, a single black monolith. To make matters even stranger, Kuroko suddenly found herself carrying a bone in her right hand. Seeing this turn of events, the alarms in Touma's head all started going on high alert. He had hung out with Aogami enough to know exactly what kind of situation they were in.

"Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope! We are not dealing with this!" Touma said firmly, "We need to get as far away from the monolith as fast as possible, ASAP! I am not joking here!"

"Sorry about that. Please wait a moment," the general manager said over the loud speaker, "We need to make some adjustments and change the scene."

"Great, what are we in for this time?" Kuroko asked sarcastically.

To everyone's surprise, the scene was actually rather calm. Unlike the last couple of scenes, there was not sign of extreme weather or questionable entities anywhere. Instead, the group was presented with a rather peaceful campsite.

"I'm sorry," the general manager apologized as she approached the group, "We're experiencing technical difficulties with the cameras. We should have it taken care of soon. In the meantime, why don't you take a short break?"

"So, what do we do now?" Mikoto asked no one in particular.

"Oh, by the way, the food there is real," the general manager called back as she left, "Feel free to cook something up if you want to."

"Cook something up using this stuff?" Saten questioned, inspecting one of the pots, "What should we make?"

"With the number of people..." Konori mused.

"… and the ingredients we have…" Touma continued.

"We need to make some curry!" the high schooler realized simultaneously.

"Some of us can work on the curry, and the rest can do rice," Konori explained.

"I'm on team curry!" Saten proclaimed.

"Me too, please," Uiharu said, raising her hand.

"I'll help you guys then," Touma offered.

"Alright, then how about I make the rice?" Mikoto suggested.

"If you're making rice, Sissy, that's what I'm doing," Kuroko added.

"Uh, please," Kongou scoffed, "Curry is such a boorish, unsophisticated food."

"What are you talking about? It's delicious, especially when someone like Kamijou is making it," Saten insisted.

'My cooking isn't that good, is it?' Touma thought to himself.

"You mean you don't like curry?" Uiharu asked in surprise.

"I'm betting you just have no idea how to make it," Kuroko accused with a sly grin.

"Please, don't be ridiculous," Kongou boasted, pulling out her fan, "I have the recipe for the best curry. It has been passed down through the Kongou family for generations."

"Oh? What kind of curry is it?" Mikoto asked curiously.

"An authentic family recipe," Saten mused, "I'd love to try it."

"Yes please, make it for us!" Uiharu begged.

"Well, since I'm stuck here anyway, I suppose I can make do with whatever plebian curry dish you prefer," Kongou replied.

"We can make a normal curry, and your dish," Konori pointed out, "We've got lots to work with."

"That's a great idea!" Uiharu cheered.

"Better yet, why not make it a competition," Kuroko suggested, "Kongou's high-class family recipe versus Kamijou's self-taught hand-crafted recipe."

"That sounds like fun!" Saten agreed.

"I guess there's no harm in that," Touma shrugged.

"Well, if you insist I guess we can," Kongou replied.

"Hurray!" all the girls cheered, much to Kongou's chagrin.

Soon enough, everyone had split into their individual groups to prepare their meal. Mikoto, Kuroko, and Konori were in charge of making the rice. Touma was in charge of making his personal curry recipe with the help of Saten and Uiharu. Finally, Kongou was tasked with creating her family's special curry recipe and was given the assistance of Wannai and Awatsuki.

However, there was one problem with Kongou's group, she made the whole story about the recipe up. Her image was so important to her that she made up the story on the fly. Kongou didn't want anyone to think she was incapable of doing something as simple as cooking. Unfortunately, she only dug herself into a bigger hole with her lie, something that didn't go unnoticed by Touma's group.

"Okay, so the secret is the cut the vegetables in both chucks and bits," Touma explained as he chopped some vegetables, "This way, you have some substance to the curry and some extra flavor in the sauce."

"Um, Kamijou," Uiharu interrupted, "Have you seen anybody do what they are doing over there?"

Looking at Kongou's group, Touma couldn't help but cringe at what they were doing. First, they were peeling onions to the point that there were only a few inner layers left. Next, they were grating several ears of corn, cob included. Then they tried to peel off the skins from tomatoes. Afterwards, they were trying to cut hydrated seaweed. After that, they started cutting up tangerines into rounds with the peel still on. It was such a huge waste of perfectly good food that Touma couldn't stand it. The worse part was that Wannai and Awatsuki were completely convinced that this was a proper method of preparing curry. Judging from Kongou's defeated expression, she knew this too.

"Hey, I've already told you most of my modifications to a traditional curry recipe, so can you girls take it from here?" Touma asked, "I need to check on something."

"Sure, go on ahead," Saten replied.

Leaving the rest of the curry making process in Saten and Uiharu's hands, Touma walked over to the other counter where Kongou's group was working.

"I take it you could use some help?" Touma deduced as he approached.

"Yeah, actually," Wannai admitted.

"You'd really do that?" Awatsuki asked.

"Of course," Touma replied, grabbing a knife and an onion, "I don't need a reason to help someone."

"But what about the competition? We're supposed to be competing," Kongou pointed out.

"I didn't really care about it. Besides, this way everyone wins," Touma replied while peeling an onion, "By the way, onions have multiple layers and you're only suppose to peel off the first one. The rest of it is edible, Airhead."

The girls were completely stunned. This boy before them was extremely humble and was will to help people he had only just met and barely knew anything about. Not only that, but he was extremely friendly. Despite only just meeting, he had already given Kongou a nickname. While it may have sounded insulting on the surface, his tone clearly indicated that it was one made to be affectionate, like some kind of playful joke. If this was some kind of manga, light novel or fanfiction, the three girls probably would have swooned.

Soon enough, the group had two pots of curry and two pots of rice prepared. The girls quickly set the picnic table while Touma prepared the individual plates with food. The group sat down at the table with Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten on one side of the table and Kongou, Wannai, Awatsuki, and Konori on the other side of the table. Touma sat at the head of the table between Mikoto and Kongou.

"Ladies, allow me to present today's Kamijou special," Touma said in a rather showy manner, "Today, we have a selection of both a chicken curry and a seafood curry."

"Looks great!" all the girls complimented.

"Alright, everybody ready to eat?" Konori asked.

"Absolutely!" everyone cheered.

Everyone immediately began to dig in to their individual plates. Everyone except for Kongou, that is. She was anxiously watching Shirai take her first bit of the seafood curry she helped Touma made. She relaxed as soon as she saw that Kuroko had a positive reaction to it.

"I'd say we did a pretty good job," Kuroko commented.

"Yup, I couldn't agree more," Konori replied.

"Plus, I think we all know who won this little cook off," Saten added.

"I guess so," Mikoto admitted.

"Great job as always, Kamijou," Uiharu congradulated.

"Well, I did end up helping to make both of them," Touma laughed.

"This is great, isn't it?" Wannai asked her two teammates.

"It was worth every bit of effort," Awatsuki agreed.

"Yes," Kongou said quietly.

She stared at the plate of seafood curry in front of her, hesitating to take a bit.

"Go on, Airhead," Touma encouraged, "You helped make it. You deserve to taste it."

Slowly, Kongou took a spoonful of curry and hesitantly popped in in her mouth. To her surprise, she actually found it delicious. She couldn't help but smile at the sensation.

"See?" Mikoto asked encouragingly, "It tastes better because we all worked together to make it."

"You know, you both seem like such nice people," Kongou said, referring to Mikoto and Touma, "What were your names again?"

This question earned Kongou surprised looks from everyone else from the table. No knowing Touma was understandable, but Mikoto? Out of everyone there, Mikoto was the only regularly in the public eye. How could she not know who Mikoto was?

"Well, I'm Touma Kamijou."

"I'm Mikoto MIsaka."

"Misaka, huh? That sounds familiar," Kongou mused before pulling out her fan again, "Well, in any case, I've decided to give you two the opportunity to become my friends. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great," Mikoto replied with an awkward smile, "Thanks a lot."

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Airhead," Touma answered, earning a laugh from all the other girls.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" the general manager said over the loud speaker, "The system is up and running, so we'll resume shooting now."

"Huh? Already?" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Oh, you can continue eating," the general manager insisted, "I think we can get some great shots of that."

Indeed, they did. Out of all the photos they took during the photo shoot, one of the best shots was off the girls crowded behind Touma, each of them presenting a plate of curry they worked so hard to make together.

* * *

"That was fantastic!" Saten said as the exited the building, "I'd model any time if we get to eat like that."

"It really was a lot of fun," Uiharu agreed.

"I'm so glad you all had a good time today," Awatsuki said thankfully,

"I suppose eating peasant food isn't so bad once and a while," Kongou mused.

"You did have seconds," Kuroko pointed out.

"That honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Touma admitted.

"Hey, where's Misaka?" Konori asked, noticing their friend wasn't with them.

"Where'd she run off to?" Kuroko wondered.

"Yo, Kami!" a familiar voice yelled towards the group.

Looking in the direction the voice was coming from, the group saw Tsuchimokado and Aogami running at them at full speed. As soon as they reached the group, they completely ignored the girls and grabbed Touma by the collar of his shirt.

"How could you do this to us?!" Aogami cried.

"If you're taking about me spending the entire day at a photo shoot with a bunch of girls, you did that to me!" Touma defended.

"Not that! We couldn't care less about that right now!" Tsuchimokado clarified, "We're talking about you showing off your adorable middle schooler girlfriend to the entire city!"

"You both know I don't have a girlfriend!" Touma yelled.

"What are you even talking about?" Kuroko asked in confusion.

"Come with us if you want to know," Aogami said in a German accent.

About one block away from the photography studio, the group found themselves staring at a giant projection screen on the side of a nearby building. On the screen was a live feed of Mikoto playing around at the beach, wearing a frilly, pink, polka doted bathing suit.

"This is being broadcasted all across the city!" Tsuchimokado explained.

"Hey, isn't that the bathing suit she was looking at before she took the one piece?" Konori asked, recognizing the bathing suit.

"Who would have thought the number 3 Level 5 had such childish tastes?" Wannai mused.

"Yeah, I know," Awatsuki agreed.

"Wait, she's a Level 5!" Kongou asked in shock.

"I don't know. I think it actually suits her. It looks much better than the one she was wearing earlier," Touma admitted.

This earned him several odd glances from everyone else present. By some miracle, Touma didn't notice the looks he was getting. He just kept looking at the screen, wondering how long it would take for one of the swimsuit manufacturer's staff to realize she was still in the studio and broadcasting it across the city.

* * *

 **Here we are again, at the end of the chapter.**

 **Sorry again for being so vague about what I was covering next. I can assure you, next chapter is definitely going to be the start of the Index Arc. I swear this on my honor as a writer!**

 **Thank you all for all your support for this project. I hope that some day this story gets enough prestige to be given a mention on the "Toaru Majutsu no Index" FanficRec and Fanworks pages on TvTropes and its own TvTropes page. I'd do it myself, but that would take way too much time and be pretty pretentious. Still, a guy can dream.**

 **Leave a review if you like! See you next time.**

 **Be Free! (If you couldn't tell, I've been making Taiga Fujimura quotes at the end of each chapter for a while now.)**


	9. The List of Prohibited Books

**Here we are everyone. The first chapter of the Index Arc. To think, we are here after only a month. Now, before we get started, I want to clear up a few things.**

 **First, my spoiler policy. Many or you have asked me questions regarding how I plan to progress the story, such as deviation from canon and the like. Unfortunately, I have had to give many of you the response of "no spoilers" as many of those questions require me to reveal integral plans I have put in place for the story since it's conception. I try not to give spoilers as they can ruin the experience of a twist change in the way that the story progresses. However, if you really want spoilers that badly, feel free to ask me in a PM. This way, if I give out spoilers, only people who ask will see them. Just know that this process may take a while to answer your questions, as I do have a life outside of this site. I also realize that this bars Guest users, but that's the price you have to pay if you want spoilers. Sorry.**

 **Second, I'm glad you all liked the chapter. I'm just disappointed so many of the references and puns were missed. I mean, card games being made tangible? "Tragically sunken ship"? Those were pretty solid. Oh well, guess my humor needs some work.**

 **Okay them, What time is it? Q &A time!**

 **Bluejack222: Glad you liked the chapter. I thought for sure it was going to be the least liked. Don't worry, we don't have to say goodbye to this Touma for now. We still have several chapters to get through.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Yup, just like Touma.**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I'll try to tone it down a little. I did say it took some convincing before Touma was let in. As for Kongou, the first two times he used the nickname, she was distracted by her modeling and the cold, she didn't really have time to worry about some perceived insult. Glad you liked the development between Touma and Mikoto**

 **narufuuin: Self preservation, my friend. They may be idiots, but they know when they're going to die when they anger a girl, and in this case multiple girls. Glad you're looking forward for what's to come.**

 **mohamadstar94: Oh, I will keep going. And there will be Kamikoto! I am Kamikoto trash through and through!**

 **Shwae: I'm pretty sure Anti-Skill is an adult, exclusive organization. It's not a place of students. Don't worry, all your wuestions will be answered in due time.**

 **RedSS: Glad you found it fun. Sorry, but that has officially become spoiler territory. Either wait and see or PM me, or sift through the old chapters until you find the answer.**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Glad you liked the chapter. Don't worry, there will be repercussions for that little incident at the end of the chapter.**

 **RareSilver: Glad you liked the chapter. To be fair, a lot of the nicknames Touma gives out in canon can be offensive, just some more that others. By the way, the Armstrong reference was from the dub, although I wish I was the one to make it. I was a bit diappointed no one saw the other references.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Thank you.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad you liked the chapter. A surprise ever once in a while never hurt any one. Honestly, I'll have to remember to reference this chapter at some point, maybe have some random character looking through the catalog. I always aim for true-to-character interactions and reactions when writing.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: It's always nice to relax.**

 **RPGPersona: That was kind of the point. The plan was made to plainly flawed, or did you not pick up on the sarcasm? Glad you liked how i handled Kongou. I don't know why, but I've always liked characters that start of one-note but are revealed to be much more as a story progresses. Yeah, the main reason I handled the chapter the way I did was to deal with these problems, especially with placement. I think the room is a cross between Real Solid Vision from Yugioh Arc-V and Test Chambers from Portal. Holographic, solid projections are created while at the same time, panels move and shift to reveal, add, and remove new real elements, all while doing so in a way that conceals the changes, like putting a hologram of the additional item in the place where the actual additional item will be added. Remember, this is Tsuchimokado and Aogami we're talking about. They always assume Touma did something on purpose when a girl is involved.**

 **GhostofTime: No worries. Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **Guest (1): Looks like your wait is over.**

 **Guest (2): You're going to have to wait an see.**

 **LZWriter: I always go for the original flavor of a story when writing a fanfiction. Glad you liked it.**

 **AC Phony: (Guest): No worries, Glad you liked the story.**

 **Alright, now that that's out of the way, disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 9: The List of Prohibited Books

It was the night of July 19th. The streets Academy City were peaceful and quiet. However, the same could not be said about a certain riverbed. Down by it were two students, one a high school boy while the other was a middle school girl. The boy was none other than the unlucky Level 0 known as Touma Kamijou. Across from him was the third ranked Level 5, Mikoto Misaka. At the top of the hill not too far away stood three other middle school girls, these people being the mutual friends of Touma and Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten.

After discovering that she had accidentally broadcasted herself playing at the beach in a childish swimsuit, Mikoto had been extremely flustered and furious, especially when she learned Touma had seen. Touma honestly didn't understand why she was so mad. He even complimented her about it, saying she looked cute. Miraculously, that only seemed to make her even madder. So mad in fact, that she strong-armed him into fighter her again, saying that if she won, he had to forget about the entire incident. Seeing as he didn't have any other way out, Touma reluctantly agreed, with Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten tagging along to watch.

"Is this really such a good idea?" Uihaur asked in concern.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Kuroko said reassuringly, "Sissy just needs to blow of some steam. Kamijou is just the right guy to hold an Esper at bay. Plus, he would never go all out against someone for no good reason.

"Do your best, you two! Good luck!" Saten cheered, before realizing what she said, "Actually, scratch that last part! Just do your best!"

"Looks like it's about time we get started," Mikoto said with a smirk, "You ready?"

"Ready when you are," Touma replied flatly, "Let's just get this over with."

"I've been waiting a long time for this rematch. Let's settle this, here and now!" Mikoto yelled.

Mikoto reached towards the ground and sent a pulse of electricity through it. Within an instant, an iron sand sword formed in her right hand.

"That trick again?" Touma asked skeptically, "You know that won't work on me."

"Which is why it's not the only weapon I'm going in with," Mikoto clarified, holding out her left hand.

In an instant, she gathered electricity in her hand and shaped it into a sword. She gripped it firmly and took a fighting stance. Touma gulped a bit at the sight of the new weapon.

"I call this my Lightning Blade. Let's see how well you can dodge both of my swords!" Mikoto yelled as charged straight at Touma.

As soon as he was in range, Mikoto swung wildly at Touma, interchanging which sword she swung. Sometimes, she would swing with both blades, either along parallel or intersecting paths, in an attempt to throw Touma off balance. Unfortunately for Mikoto, Touma managed to dodge every single strike. He did everything he could to not get hit, from sidestepping, to ducking, to rolling, to sliding. While the task proved difficult, he still managed to get away rather unscathed.

"Hold still!" Mikoto yelled, bring her hands together.

As soon as the blades met, they combined. The lightning blade merged with the iron sand sword, coating it in a cloak of electricity. Mikoto swung the sword with two hands over her head and brought it down on Touma. However, the weapon only met with his right hand. The instant they touched, the sound of shattering glass was heard, and the blade fell apart into regular iron sand. Touma took the opportunity to step back and put some distance between him and Mikoto. He had just destroyed one of her weapons, he was not about stay close enough for her to attack him with another one.

"Well, looks like your new trick failed," Touma observed, "I think it's time we call the match."

"Oh, this isn't over yet," Mikoto smirked, "I still have one other new technique I've prepared just for you."

"It's not something that's going to make me explode or something, is it?" Touma asked in a panic.

"Oh no, it's something much worse," Mikoto replied.

Mikoto released a quick pulse of electricity, covering a large area around her. The electricity charged the iron sand in the area and magnetized it, allowing Mikoto to manipulate it much like when she created the iron sand sword. The iron sand swirled into the air, forming a storm of iron sand above Mikoto's head. Touma prepared his right hand, recognizing the move. As soon as the storm charged at him, he would swat it with his right hand and negate it, just like last time.

However, the storm never charged at him. Instead, it split apart into even smaller storms, several dozens of them in fact. These miniature iron sand storms swirled and condensed before finally taking shape. To Touma's surprise, Mikoto had created dozens of iron sand swords, all of them floating in the air above her, aimed at him.

"You like it? I call it my Unlimited Blade Works," Mikoto taunted, "Your hand can only negate what it touches. Even if you negate one of these swords, two more will take its place and the iron sand from the destroyed blades will be used to create even more swords."

"Impressive. You've really thought this through, haven't you?" Touma admitted.

"That's right. Now, let's see you worm your way out of this one!" Mikoto yelled, sending a couple of iron sand swords Touma's way.

Touma immediately began running, causing the swords to miss their mark and hit the ground instead.

"You'll need to catch me first!" Touma taunted.

"Oh, I intend to!" Mikoto yelled back, throwing even more swords Touma's way.

Touma ran as fast as he could, circling Mikoto as she threw more and more swords at him. Every time a sword got too close to hitting him, Touma instantly negated it with his right hand. The rest of the swords hit the ground, kicking up dust before dissolving into iron sand and returning to Mikoto to form more swords.

Up on the hill, the girls could only watch as the fight escalated.

"Man, she's really going all out," Saten noted, "She's so determined, I'm surprised she hasn't used her Railgun yet."

"Don't even joke about that, Saten," Kuroko scolded, "Kamijou's hand only negates the supernatural, not its after effects. We don't even know if his hand could negate it."

"I'm getting really worried. I can't see what's going on down there, there's too much dust," Uiharu said.

"I know, I don't think even Kamijou and Misaka can tell what's going on in there," Saten added.

"Guys," Kuroko said in realization, "I think that's the point."

"Quit running, idiot!" Mikoto yelled, continuing to fire her swords, "Take this fight seriously!"

However, she did not get a response. Aside from some electrical buzzing, there was complete silence. She looked around her, trying to find her opponent, but could see nothing but dust surrounding her. It was only then that she realized just what kind of situation she was in. By her own hand, she had surrounded herself in a cloud of dust that she could no see out of, leaving her unable to locate Touma.

Unfortunately, she realized this too late. She found a right hand grip her shoulder. In an instant, the sound of shattering glass rang out, indicating the temporary loss of her ability. Without her power to apply and control the electricity, the iron sand above her head fell to the ground, creating a gust of wind that blew away the dust.

The girls on the hill could barely believe what they were seeing. When the dust cleared, they saw Touma with his right hand gripping Mikoto's shoulder, holding her in place. Mikoto turned her head to see Touma behind her, wearing an expression on his face that seemed to be both bored and serious. It honestly scared her a bit. He raised his left fist, chambering it for a punch. However, Mikoto immediately flinched, turning away and pulling in her arms to brace herself. From the corner her eyes, small tears began to form, something that did not go unnoticed by Touma.

'Not again,' Touma thought to himself.

Not wanting to attack her when she looked so defenseless and scared, Touma lowered his fist and let go of her shoulder, sighing in exasperation. Mikoto noticed that he was no longer holding her and turned around to face him in confusion.

"What's the big idea?" Mikoto asked, "You had a perfect opening. Why didn't you take it?"

"Seriously? You call that a 'perfect opening'?" Touma replied, "Every time you make me fight you, you tell me to not hold back and to take it seriously, but when I do, you flinch and start acting all defenseless like a little girl. You except me to attack you when you look like that? I'm not some heartless monster that attacks middle school girls just because I'm told to. If someone did that, they'd be one serious bastard. Are you seriously that scared to be hit? You started crying, just like last time!"

Touma ended his rant with a huff. He honestly couldn't understand this girl. Unfortunately, Mikoto didn't take all the comments too lightly. She grew angrier by the second, sparking more and more. Touma noticed this and immediately began running towards the other girls, telling them to run away. The group ran as fast as they could in what little time they had before Mikoto went nuclear. What happened next was a lightening bolt that took out the power in all of District 7.

* * *

The morning of July 20th, Touma found himself facing an above average amount of bad luck. First, the power was out due to Mikoto's little outburst the other night. Next, he lost all of his food due to a broken refrigerator and dropping his emergency rations in the sink. Afterwards, he had crushed his cash card after stepping on in while looking for his wallet. Finally, someone from his school called to tell him he had to take remedial classes over the summer because he was that big of an idiot. Now, this was a normal occurrence for him; his usual amount of bad luck.

The really bad luck started when he went to hang his futon out on his balcony. As he carried his futon out, he stepped on a rotten yakisoba bun he tossed out of his fridge before stepping outside to see something already hanging over the edge of his balcony. Upon closer inspection, Touma realized that the thing was, in fact, a girl. She was dressed in a white and gold nun's habit and had silver hair. In complete shock of the girl, Touma dropped his futon on the ground. However, that shock did not compare to what he felt when the nun spoke.

"I'm so…," she whimpered, "I'm so very… hungry. Very, very hungry"

"What was that?" Touma asked, confused as to why that was the first thing out of her mouth.

"I said I'm hungry," the girl said more clearly.

"What the…," Touma trailed off, backing back into his dorm and stepping on the yakisoba bun a second time.

"Weren't you listening to me? I said I'm hungry," the girl whined.

"So, uh, is this something you make a habit of?" Touma asked, "Randomly appearing draped over people's balconies."

"It's also called 'curb croaking'," the girl replied without skipping a beat, "So, do you have any food in there? I'm really starving. Please feed me."

Touma was at a lose for words. This girl just appeared out of nowhere on his balcony and started asking him for food. It was like something out of a light novel or anime with debatable merits that is defended by its most loyal fans. Thinking it was best for her to looks somewhere else, Touma devised an admittedly devilish scheme to drive her away. He offered her the rotten yakisoba bun that he had stepped on twice now. However, he did not except her to eat the whole thing in one bite, plastic wrap and all. Unfortunately, she also nearly swallowed his right hand, along with the bun.

After retrieving his right hand from her mouth, Touma let the mysterious nun into his dorm and made her a stir-fry from whatever rotten ingredients he could gather from his broken refrigerator. To his surprise, she found it delicious. She found it so delicious that she was fully dedicated to finishing the whole thing. However, Touma knew better. Even his cooking couldn't make rotten food any more edible than it already was. Based on how she was using her chopsticks, how childish she acted, and her outfit, he deduced she didn't have that much life experience, despite appearing to be fourteen years old, at least, and was from outside the city. She either didn't know better or just loved food that much.

The girl in front of him was just so naïve and innocent that Touma could stand to watch anymore. He couldn't just sit there knowing that the girl was just going to poison herself eating the rotten food he made. Out of the need to save this girl from his cooking and herself, Touma grabbed the bowl of stir-fry from her and ate it himself as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, he quickly got sick and fell on his back, dropping the bowl of stir-fry on the floor.

After recovering from the food poisoning and giving the girl a cracker to nibble on, Touma decided to get some answers. After all, this girl came out of nowhere and seemed to be of great need of help. Plus, as a member of Judgement, he had an obligation to gather intel and help in any way he could.

From what the girl told him, her name was Index Librirom Prohibitorum, or just Index, and she was on the run from magicians. In addition, she supposedly also when by the magic name, Dedicatus 545, or "The consecrated lamb that safeguards the wisdom of the mighty". She claimed that the sorcerers chased her in pursuit of the 103,000 grimoires she had on her person. Apparently, she was trying to jump from rooftop to rooftop, but the power outage made it so dark it was impossible for her see where she was jumping to, resulting in her landing on Touma's balcony.

Of course, Touma couldn't really buy what she was selling. He'd be lying if he didn't admit to buying the existence of the supernatural, he lived in Academy City after all, but magic was just not something he could believe. Not to mention, Index claimed to have more books on her that Touma could have imagined, a whole library's worth, but she had nothing but the clothes on her back. To add to his skepticism, when he asked for some proof of magic, Index admitted to not being able to perform magic herself. When Touma admitted to his possession of a negating power in his right hand, Index made a face, calling his bluff. This quickly spiraled into an argument between the two where Index dared to try to stab her with a kitchen knife, claiming that her robes were magic and would defend her from any harm. This was followed by Touma betting that his right hand would be able to negate her robe's magic, assuming they were magic at all.

"All right then, fine with me!" Touma yelled as he approached his guest, "When it's over, just remember you asked me to do this!"

He placed his right and on her left shoulder and the sound of shattering glass rang out. However, nothing else seemed to happen beyond that.

"Okay, that's weird," Touma admitted.

"Well, what do you know? Nothing's happening," Index laughed smugly.

As soon as the laugh escaped her lips, her habit immediately tore itself to shreds. Touma was left completely stunned at what happened. He expected something to happen, but nothing on that scale. Miraculously, Index was completely unaware of what happened. She only began to question the situation when she noticed Touma's shocked expression and slightly blushed face. When he insisted it was nothing, she looked down to see the state that his right and had left her in. In her embarrassment, she did the only thing she could think of doing in retaliation.

She bit Touma.

* * *

"Look at this, you must have bitten me a hundred times," Touma complained as he rubbed his wounds, "You're like a really big, really angry mosquito."

Index, who was now on the bed with her hood of and covering herself with the blanket, only formed a dark aura around herself.

"I'm sorry, maybe we should just forget about it. That way-," Touma apologized, but was cut off when Index threw a book at him.

"You really expect me to just forget about this?" Index asked darkly, "How much of an insensitive jerk can you be?"

"Well, uh, I thought it would be easier not to talk about it," Touma explained, "I guess I'm pretty embarrassed about it too."

"You're still a jerk," Index replied, turning around to continue with her task under to blanket.

Despite the embarrassing incident, Touma was still about to confirm something. Index was most definitely telling the truth, at least some of it anyway. His right hand destroyed her habit, so she had to have been involved with the supernatural. His hand wouldn't have reacted if it wasn't. Whether or not that meant magic was real was another matter.

"All done!" Index cheered as she threw off the blanket.

She was once again wearing her habit, now held together by a couple of brass safety pins.

"Nice job, you look like a pin cushion," Touma said flatly.

"Who knows, maybe I'll start a fashion trend," Index boasted before dropping her head in despair.

"Oh crap, my class!" Touma said in realization, "Sorry, I'm running late for my remedial class. What are you going to do? I can give you a key if you want to stay?"

"No, it's okay," Index replied, jumping off the bed, "It's better that I move on, otherwise those people might track me down here. And I'm guessing you'd prefer it if your place didn't get blown up."

"Hey, wait! Just a sec!" Touma yelled as he ran after her as she opened the door.

Unfortunately, Touma tripped on the rug and dropped his cell phone. In his struggle to regain his balance, he ended up crushing said cell phone underfoot.

"You want to know what I think? About your power. That right hand of yours?" Index inquired, "I think it cancels out the grace of God and everything else along with it. Your hand opposes the divine and without God's grace, you're bound to be met with ill fortune at every turn."

Touma could hardly believe what he was hearing. If what Index was saying was true, then his misfortune has been the result of his power then entire time. In addition, that meant that all of his parent's efforts to deal with his misfortune were for nothing. If his right hand negates luck itself, then all those good luck charms wouldn't have had any effect on him, even if they actually worked. The only possible bright side to this is now he has another reason to give Saten for why his power isn't all that great. Not knowing what else to do, Touma fell on his hands and knees in despair.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented.

"If you ask me, being born with that power is pretty much the most rotten luck a person can have," Index said with a smile.

As much as Touma wanted to sulk about his rotten luck, he had more important matters to worry about.

"Index, what now? Is there anywhere safe you can go after you leave here?" Touma asked desperately.

"If I stay in one place, they can find me," Index answered.

"But how?"

"Like I showed you before, my habit is imbued with magic. Because of that magic, they're able to track my location. It will be okay though. If I can just make it to the church, they will offer me sanctuary."

"Why didn't you? Knowing all of that, how can I let you leave here?" Touma insisted, "At the very least, let me help you get to the church safely! I'm a member of Judgement, a peacekeeping and disciplinary organization here in Academy City! I can get you help so we can at least escort you out of the city to the nearest church!"

"Come now, do you really want to be dragged down into the depths of hell with me?" Index proposed, "Besides, an escort party like you're suggesting could draw in even more attention, not just from sorcerers but the people of this city as well."

Touma was stunned at what he was hearing. This girl in front of him was so gentle and kind when she wasn't mad. She didn't want to drag anyone else in her problems despite how much danger they put her in. If he was being honest, she reminded him of himself in a sense. A kind soul that didn't want to drag people into her problems and put others safety above her own.

"Goodbye," Index said as she ran out the door.

"If you run into any more trouble, you know where you can find me," Touma called out as she ran off.

"Yup! I'll come back when I'm hungry again!" Index called back, before running into and being chased off by some cleaning robots, "Ah! What are these things?!"

Touma watched with a smile as the cleaning robots chased her away. However, he soon realized he still had a remedial class to catch.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Touma arrived at the 177th Judgement Branch Office. He found all the girls present and gave them all a halfhearted greeting, not even using the nicknames he gave them. The girls could clearly tell he had a hard day, especially considering he came in late.

"Alright, Kamijou, time for therapy," Saten said, guiding Touma towards the couch, "Now, tell us what happened today this time."

Touma recounted all of the unlucky events he had faced that day after meeting Index. These included the usual bad luck he faced as a result of the power outage, Index's crazy story about magic being real, Index's theory for the connection between his right hand and his luck, accidents during remedial class, and the game of no-eyed poker Komoe had made him endure. Of course, he left out the part where he accidentally stripped Index with his ability. He didn't need attacked by his friends for being a pervert added to his list of unfortunate events. Needless to say, the girls were pretty stunned at what they heard. Mikoto went as far as to feel pity and not challenge him to a rematch for the time being.

"Well, that's certainly quite the day you've had," Uiharu commented.

"I had no idea your teacher could be so sadistic," Saten said with a shiver, remembering how innocent she could look.

"You didn't actually believe what she said about magic being real, did you?" Kuroko asked skeptically.

"While I'm not sure about magic being real, she was definitely involved in the supernatural. She had this protective talisman that shattered when I touched it with my right hand," Touma half-lied, "Clearly, there was something supernatural about it."

"And the theory about your right hand negating your luck?" Mikoto asked.

"Seems plausible," Touma admitted.

"Speaking about your right hand, the rumor about you has been getting a resurgence in popularity recently," Saten said, trying to change the topic form Touma's bad luck.

"Is that so?" Touma inquired.

"Yeah. Ever since you shared the existence of your power during the Level Upper workshop, your rumor has been skyrocketing in popularity," Uiharu confirmed, pulling up the discussion board, "They're even trying to come up with names to call your power."

"What have they come up with so far?" Mikoto asked, looking over Uiharu's shoulder at the screen.

"So far, they've come up with 'Anti-Skill', 'Negation', 'Effect Veiler', and 'Vanity Shatterer'," Uiharu listed off,

"They seem pretty hit or miss if you ask me," Kuroko commented.

"I'm not going to wake up tomorrow to find my dorm surrounded by people wanting to fight me like Zapper, am I?" Touma asked.

"I don't think so," Saten said comfortingly, "The discussion board is full of skeptics, trolls, and misinformation. I don't think a lot of people honestly believe the rumor. If they do, they have no clue who you are."

"Well, that's good to know," Touma replied, walking over to his desk, "Now if you'd all excuse me, I have some work I need to catch up on."

"Are you sure you're in any condition to do any Judgement work?" Uiharu asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," Touma insisted.

However, he soon tried on a stray piece of paper and fell to the ground.

"Maybe you should take the day off. Uiharu and I will cover for you," Kuroko suggested as she helped Touma up, "You've had a hard enough day as it is."

"Seriously, I'd hate it if they guy that beat me ended up collapsing from too much stress," Mikoto added.

"Shirai and I can take care of it," Uiharu insisted.

"Get some rest, Kamijou," Saten encouraged.

"Well, if you all insist," Touma said begrudgingly as he left the office.

* * *

By the time Touma got home, it was sundown. He made his way to his dorm to find the cleaning robots crowded around the front of his dorm. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were harassing Index again, who appeared to be asleep on the ground.

"That's just my luck. I should have known," Touma said to himself.

He walked over to the sleeping girl and shook her gently to wake her up.

"What are you doing out here? You can't sleep there," Touma said.

He stopped when he felt something wet and warm on his hand. He pulled his hand away to inspect it. To his shock, he immediately recognized the liquid on his had to be blood, Index's blood. Noticing the large wound on her back, Touma begged her to hold on. He asked who exactly did this to her and how it happened. His answer came from a man that approached him from behind.

He had long red hair, a barcode tattoo, black robes reminiscent of those worn by priests, and a lit cigarette in his mouth. He had the appearance of a man in his twenties and work a confident smirk on his face. He answered calmly, not even skipping a beat.

"Oh, that was us," the man said, "as in sorcerers."

* * *

 **And that was the start of the Index Arc! Sorry if it was a little lacking. I've always been a believer in serial escalation. You got to start small, you know what I'm saying?**

 **Anyway, leave a review if you like. Share this story with your friends if they're fans of the "A Certain" franchise. See you all later!**

 **Hell and Heaven!**


	10. Memories

**A Certain Strange Addition**

 **Here we are again! Next chapter in the Index Arc!**

 **I sincerely hope you all enjoy this chapter, even if it chops up the episodes a little bit. You'll see what I mean. Still, I added a certain strange addition (roll credits) to the the story in this chapter that I think you all might find interesting on some level.**

 **Now, Q &A time!**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Calm before the storm indeed. I'm sure you'll find a lot of the deviation interesting.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Thanks for the kind words.**

 **Mr QuestionMark: I'm glad you liked the small changes I made. I needed some way to cause the all important power outage, and the references were the cherry on top. A lot of my humor is inspired by Sonic Boom (the cartoon, not the games), so I love to lean on the fourth wall and make jabs at the source material and fandom.**

 **RPGPersona: Glad you liked the chapter. I imagine that Mikoto creates several conduction points near each end of the lightning blade, only millimeters apart, making it so multiple streams of electricity appear to take on the shape of a sword. That's really the fatal flaw of every character aside from Touma, they are over-reliant on their supernatural powers. Hey, we all need to rant every once in a while.**

 **narufuuin: I imagine she was just trying to put her clothing back together. I think the saddest part about that scene is that she did actually start a fashion trend, with the Agnese Forces following suit after the whole ordeal with the ice ship fleet. As for Mikoto, that was really meant to be a coincidental name that an inspired one. I may or may not be trying to think of a concept to write a crossover.**

 **mohamadstar94: I have continued!**

 **Bluejack222: Thanks for being understanding.**

 **SuperKinuhata: I did not even realize that I wrote "forgot" that many times. Interpret it as you wish!**

 **GhostofTime: They will, just not yet.**

 **ahsoei: I get your criticisms are with this story's best interests in mind, but is it really necessary to criticize the jokes and references? They're suppose to be dumb and stupid, that's my brand of comedy. I wouldn't have made the reference if I wasn't a fan of Fast/Stay Night as well. Still, I appreciate the criticisms and will take what ever advice you give. Sorry, but those Esper vs Magician fights will have to wait for a little bit.**

 **RareSilver: I hope I didn't cost you any friends or you job by making you laugh so hard. Kamikoto trash right here! Those moments are expected from me!**

 **RedSS: Yeah, not much last chapter. Much more here. Maybe.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Oh, they'll met Kanzaki eventually. Also, the girls do know about Kami-Disease, Tsuchimokado and Aogami yelled it out during chapter 2 when they barged in on the group just before Touma and Kuroko went on patrol.**

 **Guest (1): Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **Handsomistic1: I've been watching Index again just for this story myself.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: I'm glad you liked the story. I really wanted to make the two sides of the story feel really connected, rather than the loose connections we got every few episodes in the anime. As for Touma, I interpreted him as not care much for Imagine Breaker. He doesn't actively show it off, but he doesn't actively keep it a secret either. He uses it regularly enough in public that's to Mikoto, but doesn't flaunt it like a Level 5 would. I do plan on changing more things up in the future, but they are mostly character driven changes, like relationships and how characters deal with different situations. You'll see what I mean when they show up.**

 **MaiBiliaro: Update!**

 **Syko-Soldier963: Glad you liked the chapter. Deviations will continue to occur, you just need to wait and see what they are.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Memories

After Touma left to take his recommended day off, business continued as usual at the 117th Judgement Branch Office. Kuroko and Uiharu were busy filling out paperwork while Mikoto and Saten lounged around for the sake of hanging out with their friends. Save for Touma's absents, it was a perfectly normal day in the office.

However, Touma's absents were felt throughout the entire office, especially when the reason for his absents is taken into consideration. He had been through much more bad luck than normal that day, all because of a supposed nun he ended up helping that morning. Everyone was more than a little worried of the unlucky boy. He goes through so much on a daily basis but still offers a helping hand to anyone that may need it. It was one of his most appealing traits, but one could help but feel like Touma needed to pull back everyone once in a while. This habit of his may very well get him killed one day.

Noticing the time, Mikoto decided to take her leave. She'd rather not have to deal with the dorm manager's wrath if she missed curfew. She said goodbye to her friends, wishing them a good evening, and headed out, blissfully unaware of the assumptions her friends were making about her departure.

"I bet she's actually heading out to check on Kamijou," Saten laughed, "She doesn't really show it, but I think she actually really likes him."

"Come on, Saten. Surely Mikoto was being honest about wanting to make curfew," Uiharu reasoned.

"Really, Uiharu?" Saten proposed, "Have you seen her reactions to the things Kamijou does? Looks like a girl who's too shy to admit her feelings, if you ask me."

"You're being ridiculous," Kuroko argued, "Sissy is constantly attacking Kamijou? How is that a sign of affection?"

"Maybe she's playing hard to get," Saten responded with a sly grin, "Or maybe you're just in denial because you'd be losing the battel for Misaka's heart."

"Impossible! As if I would lose to Kamijou in that department!" Kuroko denied, "He can claim the hearts of every other girl in Academy City if he wants to, but Sissy is for me alone!"

"You know, if Kamijou ever does figure it out, I wouldn't be surprised if offered to share Misaka with you, Shirai," Uiharu said jokingly, "He does want everyone to be happy."

Kuroko didn't take that last comment too kindly and teleported behind Uiharu. She had every intention to shake her silly until she took back what she said. However, she stopped when the gave the idea a second thought.

It honestly didn't seem like such a bad idea to Kuroko, if she thought about it. If they made the love triangle into a full on triple relationship, there would be no animosity between anyone over being the loser. Mikoto would get the guy of her dreams, Kuroko would get the girl of her dreams, and Touma would have two lovely ladies by his side. Plus, there was so much more Kuroko could do with the addition of Touma that she couldn't do with just Mikoto and herself. The thought of the possibilities made her salivate, something that didn't go unnoticed by Saten.

"Look at what you've done, Uiharu," Saten lamented, "You've created a whole new kind of pervert."

"It's not like it's my fault!" Uiharu defended, but was interrupted when an alert came up on her computer.

The alert was for a tripped fire alarm in a dorm building in District 7.

* * *

As Mikoto waited at an automatic bus stop, she couldn't help but consider visiting Touma, just to check on him. It wasn't like she had feelings for him or anything, she just didn't want anything to happen to him before she could get a proper rematch. Besides, while she wouldn't admit it, she considered him to be one of her closest friends. Sometimes, she thought that the two of them could end up being a couple if they just got to know each other a little better and if they could stop ending up in such violent arguments. That last thought made Mikoto blush a bit, but she quickly shook off the thought.

Mikoto tried to think of something else, but was interrupted when several fire engines drove past her, sirens blaring. From what she could tell, they were heading in the direction of Touma's dorm. At the sight of these fire engines, Mikoto found herself following them. Something insider her compelled her to run after them. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was worry for Touma. Regardless of the reason, she ran after the racing vehicles. When they reached their destination, Mikoto was shocked at where they had stopped.

Before her eyes was Touma's dorm building, smoke coming from his floor. Not only that, but the faint glow of left over flames could be seen as well. Mikoto couldn't do anything but stare at the spot where his dorm would be. The sight just made her freeze up. Something about the situation just hurt her inside. However, her thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Sissy, what are you doing here?" Kuroko asked as she approached, "I thought you were heading back to the dorm."

"I was, but I saw some fire engines heading this way, so I came to check it out," Mikoto explained.

"You worried about Kamijou too, huh?" Kuroko deduced.

"Give me a break, Kuroko," Mikoto denied, "As if I would come all this way for that idiot's sake."

"Then why did you come all this way then? This is out of the way from the dorm. You could have just ignored it. I, on the other hand, am here on official Judgement business, as would Kamijou be if this were anyone else's dorm," Kuroko countered, before noticing something in the distance, "Say, isn't that Kamijou right there."

"Nice try, Kuroko. Not going to fall for it," Mikoto said, crossing her arms.

However, it turns out that Kuroko was not joking. Poking his head out of an alley was Touma Kamijou himself. Believe that nobody had seen him, he quickly ran out of the alley carrying a passed-out girl with silver hair in a white and gold habit. Based on her description, she was the supposed nun that Touma told them about. Mikoto and Kuroko exchanged a look before nodding in agreement and chasing after their friend and the mysterious girl. Eventually, the two girls found Touma at a public bench with the girl sitting on it, still passed-out. The Esper girls approached slowly before making themselves known.

"Kamijou?" Kuroko asked, announcing their presence known.

"Hey Shirai, Misaka," Touma greeted, "Seems I wasn't careful enough when I snuck out."

"Is she okay?" Mikoto asked in concern, "Your nun friend, I mean. I believe you said her name was Index?"

"Yeah, this is Index, and she's not okay," Touma admitted, "She's hurt badly and needs medical attention."

"If that's the case, I'll call Uiharu and we can get Judgement's support," Kuroko deduced, pulling out her phone.

"Wait," Touma interrupted, grabbing Kuroko's wrist with his right hand, "We need to keep this under wraps. If we bring this to Judgement, it will only attract more attention from the sorcerers chasing her. I just used my right hand to negate the magic still in her hood that they were using to track her back to my dorm. I'm not going put another tracker on her in the form of Judgement Officers."

"So now you believe magic is real?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"I just fought a man that could created a fire monster with chanting and sustain it with drawings that he tagged all around my dorm building. My hand wasn't able to fully negate the monster until after I destroyed the tags, so I'd say there was a clear connection," Touma explained, "Magic is real, and we can't let news get out, least we cause a panic in the city or draw attention to Index. Please, Shirai, don't report this. I'm begging you."

Kuroko looked straight into Touma's eyes and took his words into consideration. As much as she wanted to contact Judgement, she knew Touma was right. This was too much, and secrecy was important for this situation. Not to mention, the idea of magic would either turn people away or make them panic. They couldn't let this get out.

"Alright," Kuroko conceded, "I won't tell Judgement, but at least let me tell Uiharu. If we can't get the help of Judgement as an organization, we can at least get help from friends in Judgement."

"Thanks, Shirai," Touma said, letting go of her wrist, "I appreciate it. You right, though. We really are going to need all the help we can get. You can call Uiharu if you want to, just remember to tell her it must stay a secret."

"Wait, I thought you said she had a magic talisman that you accidentally destroyed," Mikoto nodded towards Index, "You never mentioned anything about her clothes being magic. And why is her habit held together with safety pins?"

"Now is really not the time to talk about that," Touma said wearily, wanting to avoid the subject entirely.

"Touma…," Index whispered weakly, earning everyone's attention, "Is something wrong? You look so tired and pale. Who are these people?"

"These are my friends, Mikoto Misaka and Kuroko Shirai," Touma replied, kneeling down look her in the eye, "But never mind that right now. Why are you worried about me? We need to do something about your injuries."

"I'll be alright, really. If we can just stop the bleeding…," Index said weakly, before starting to fall over.

"I've got you," Touma cried, catching her and trying to keep her awake, "Hey, what about those books you've got crammed in your brain? Is there any magic in there that can heal injuries?"

"Yes, there is," Index responded.

"Then let's use it," Touma suggested.

"You couldn't perform it," Index explained, "Even if I were able to teach you the spell, and even if you performed it perfectly to the last detail, your power would interfere."

"Damn, not again," Touma lamented, "It always comes back to my stupid hand!"

"What about one of us?" Mikoto suggested.

"It's just Touma's right hand," Index clarified, "It's your Esper powers in general. Some Espers are born with their physic abilities. Some developed them over time. Magic isn't a power one can be born with, but something that can be learned. It was created by people who saw the Espers and desired power of their own. magic and physic abilities are mutually exclusive."

"So, no Esper in the whole city can't use magic?" Kuroko deduced.

"Correct," Index confirmed.

"What about people who don't have any Esper talent?" Touma proposed, "Can they do magic?"

Index's only reply was a weak nod.

* * *

The students and Index found themselves at the apartment of Touma's teacher, Komoe. Everyone was surprised at the number of empty beer cans, cigarette butts, and scattered books. It completely clashed with the image of a teacher that looked like an elementary school girl that wore a pink, bunny onesie for pajamas.

After setting down Index in the apartment, the second, magic induce personality known as John's Pen took over and instructed Touma to leave so he would not interfere in the spell while Komoe casted it. Not seeing anything else he could do, Touma ran out of the apartment as fast as he could, leaving Index's fate in Komoe's hands. Mikoto and Kuroko followed behind him, using Kuroko's teleporting in order to keep up.

"Hey, idiot! Where are you running to!" Mikoto yelled between teleports.

"Didn't you hear?" Touma asked as he stopped to face the girls, "I can't be anywhere near them while they're casting the spell, otherwise my hand will negate it."

"Well, we're far enough away," Kuroko noted, "so why were you still running so hard?"

"There was a fire at my dorm, remember?" Touma said, slipping on his Judgement armband, "As a member of Judgement, I need to make an official report. Keep everything under wraps. We don't want any of this to get out. Besides, there's something important I need to get from my dorm. Something irreplaceable."

Soon enough, the group found themselves at Touma's dorm building. As a member of Judgement and a resident of the building, Touma was given free reign when investigating the cause of the fire. He went up to his dorm room and searched his place before coming across the item he had come to retrieve. The item was a large, multisubject notebook with multiple paperclips lodged in it. Making sure one was around to see, he quickly hid his notebook under his shirt for safe keeping.

With his notebook secure, Touma then gathered a couple of old notes, newspapers, and a small bowl. He then went to his balcony and called down to Mikoto, whom he instructed to wait just below it. Holding out the collected paper, he had Mikoto zap them, burning them slightly and creating ashes, which he collected in the bowl. He then scattered the papers and ashes around his room and out the door, creating a trail that lead back to an outlet in his room. Touma then reported to the fire department and Anti-Skill that the fire was simply a freak electrical fire caused by his carelessness and the aftermath of the power outage. After checking Touma's room, the officials bought his story and said they would take care of it within the next couple of days. With the case of the dorm fire 'solved', Touma, Mikoto and Kuroko took their leave.

"I have to admit, that was an impressive plan you came up with," Mikoto commented, "Planting fake evidence to blame the fire on some faulty electricity from yesterday's blackout was pretty smart. Maybe you're not as big of an idiot as I thought."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Touma replied.

"So, what was so important for you to go back to your dorm to get anyway?" Kuroko asked.

Touma's only reply was to pull out his notebook from under his shirt.

"A notebook?" Mikoto inquired, "I know you care an awful lot about your grades, but isn't that a bit too far?"

"It's not an academic notebook," Touma clarified, "It's my journal. I've been writing in it ever since I first came to Academy City. It holds a lot of the more significant stuff that has a happened to me, information about the people I know, and, of course, tips for dealing with my misfortune. I might not have lasted long if I had not recorded all of the things I learned from my mistakes."

"That thing must be really important to you," Kuroko observed.

"Can you blame me? Memories are important," Touma replied, "They're a major part of what make use who we are. If we're stripped of out memories, we'd pretty much be blank slates."

"When did you becomes so philosophical?" Mikoto asked.

"I'm going to chose to ignore that," Touma replied flatly.

"So, what now?" Kuroko questioned.

"For now, I'm going to find some place to stay for the night," Touma explained, "You two should head back to your dorm. I'd hate it if you two died because your dorm manager had a go at you."

"Don't reminded me," Kuroko said with a shiver.

"What about you?" Mikoto asked.

"I'll stay at Aogami's place. He's been lodging at a café for a while now. Tsuchimokado should be there already, considering he's my next-door neighbor. That or he's staying with his stepsister, Maika Tsuchimokado," Touma explained, "We'll meet up at Ms. Komoe's apartment tomorrow to check on Index. Bring along Uiharu if you think she can help."

The group continued to walk towards their individual destinations. However, Mikoto stopped upon realizing something Touma said.

"Wait, our dorm's maid-in-training is the siscon's stepsister!" Mikoto yelled.

* * *

The morning of July 21st, the group met up at Komoe's apartment, just as they agreed. Kuroko had brought along Uiharu just as she had said she would. However, Uiharu had ended up bringing along Saten as well. Saten's innate ability to detect rumors and secrets allowed her to figure out that Uiharu was hiding something from her. The inevitably lead to Uiharu spilling the beans to Saten, forcing her to bring Saten along. As much as Touma wanted to keep the information as confidential as possible, he figured that if Saten wanted to help and learn the truth, there was no stopping her.

After filling everyone in on the situation, the group entered the apartment to find an awfully strange sigh. Apparently, due to Komoe's small stature, Index was able to wear an extra bunny onesie that was laying around. Of course, Komoe wanted answers just as much as Saten did, but Touma was determined to keep it a secret from her. Instead of coming clean, he lied and said that Index was his younger sister.

This lead to Touma begging on his hands and knees for forgiveness while Komoe lecture him about telling the truth and pointed out all the reasons why Index couldn't possibly be his younger sister. All the while, Index just stared in confusion while the rest of the girls stared awkwardly at the situation. It wasn't every day you see a high school boy on his hands and knees be lectured by someone who appeared to be in grade school.

After that little act, Komoe demanded that Touma tell her the truth. However, when she also told him she intended to tell Academy City's governing board, Touma insisted that he had to keep her out of the loop as to not get her any more involved than she needed to. In the end, Komoe decided she would give him time to decide how to answer her questions while she went out grocery shopping. Of course, she also reminded him that she may well forget about the topic, but she expected him to tell her once she got back. As she left, the students could only look on stunned at the turn of events.

"Looks like we're in the clear," Mikoto commented.

"Thank God," Touma sighed, laying down on the floor.

"She's a nice person," Index said.

"Are you talking about Ms. Komoe?" Touma asked.

Index merely nodded.

"We should keep her from getting further involved," Kuroko pointed out.

"Yes," Index agreed, "It isn't safe for her to use any more magic."

Index went on to explain just how exactly dangerous the grimoires, and by extension magic, could be. She explained that the knowledge of the grimoires was not meant for normal humans to read. They create a sort of second world within themselves through their contents and that second world is toxic, damaging the brains of those ill prepared to take on that knowledge. Uiharu couldn't help but comment on the parallels between magic and the concept of Personal Reality for Espers. Both create a second reality that imprints itself on True Reality. The key difference being that Esper abilities rely on the personal beliefs of the individual while magic relied on the religious beliefs of a collective.

Index went on to explain that she belongs to a branch of the English Puritan Church known as Necessarius, or the Church of Necessary Evil. It was designed to conduct Anti-Magic practices through the use of magic itself. They used the very magic they fight against in order to keep it in check, hence the name. Kuroko noted the similarities to Judgement, using Espers to fight other Espers and help keep the peace in Academy City.

Index went on to reveal that the reason she memorized all 103,000 grimoires was so Necessarius could understand all magic, and thus potentially fight against all magic. Touma suggested just destroying the books so they wouldn't be used, but Index explained that it is practically impossible to destroy them. Even if the original copies were destroyed, it would be knowledge they held would survive in the minds of every sorcerer that had learned from it, whether directly or indirectly. Not to mention the originals themselves were extremely durable, so the only option was to seal them away.

"So basically, it's like there's a bomb inside your head, and some evil people want to get their hands on it," Touma concluded, his fists shaking.

"Anyone who could use all 103,000 volumes could have the power to warp the entire world," Index whispered, sinking deeper into the blanket of the futon.

"How could you?" Touma asked in a dangerous tone, "This is major stuff and you waited until now to tell us!"

"Kamijou calm down," Uiharu cried, grabbing his arm.

"You're scaring her," Saten added, grabbing the other arm.

"You were such skeptic, I didn't think you were going to believe me," Index whined from under the blanket, "I didn't want to frighten you off. Also, I didn't want you to stop liking me."

"That's why you kept it from us! Well, we deserve better!" Touma yelled, trying to stand up, but was restrained slightly by Uiharu and Saten, "Church of Necessary Evil, magic robes, a whole library of evil books! Yeah, it's a crazy story and I still have a hard time buying it! But that's it. No more surprises?"

Index's only response was to sit up, still hiding behind the blanket. Upon seeing that Touma was calming down, Uiharu and Saten slowly let go, still weary of his potential anger.

"You owe us an apology," Touma huffed, "Did you honestly think I won't like you just because you happen to memorize a bunch of old books? You just assumed I was that petty and shallow? Don't just assume things, have some faith."

In response to Touma rather harsh tone, Index appeared to be about to cry. Seeing this, Touma jokingly flicked her on the forehead, drawing her attention towards a much calmer Touma. He was even smiling and acting confident.

"Cheer up, sorcerers are no match for me," Touma declared holding out his right fist, "Not while I got this right hand!"

'There he goes again, acting all cool, idiot,' Mikoto thought to herself with a smile.

"Besides, you have all of us to help too," Mikoto chimed in, "We haven't been properly introduced yet, have we? I'm Mikoto Misaka."

"Kuroko Shirai."

"Kazari Uiharu."

"Ruiko Saten."

"Thank you all, but, didn't you say they're making take remedial classes at school?" Index asked, looking straight at Touma.

"Did I say that?" Touma responded, freezing up a little.

"You certainly did," Index answered.

'Uh oh,' the girls thought as they watched.

"Well, forget about it, it doesn't matter," Touma said, crossing his arms.

"If it doesn't matter, then why did you say anything about it in the first place?" Index reasoned, "Was it just an excuse? Did you just want to get away from me? Am I cramping your style?"

"Speaking of potential lies," Mikoto added in realization, "You said magic robes just now, but you told us you accidentally destroyed a magic talisman. What did you actually destroy that confirmed the existence of magic for you?"

"Well, are you going to answer us?" Index demanded.

However, Touma refused to look either one of them in the eye. The entire time, he held his breath and averted his eyes. He was not about to explain himself for this little mess he ended up in. Unfortunately, since he was averting his eyes from the two girls, Touma failed to notice Mikoto start sparking and Index bare her canine teeth. Before he knew it, he found himself struggling on the floor trying to get Index to stop biting his head, while at the same time trying to block Mikoto's electric attacks. The rest of the girls assisted with removing Index and calming down Mikoto, but this still went on for another half hour.

By the time Komoe had come back, she had completely forgotten about the previous conversation, or at the very least pretended to forget. Regardless, No one was going to question it. She offered to house Touma and Index for the time being until the whole ordeal could be sorted out. In the meantime, Mikoto and Kuroko agreed to help Touma guard Index whenever she went outside while Uiharu and Saten searched the internet for any sightings of the sorcerers. If any suspicious characters were sighted in a specific distract by anyone, Uiharu and Saten would alert the others to avoid that area.

On the night of June 24th, Touma decided to take Index on a trip to a local bathhouse. Mikoto and Kuroko had to do some shopping and Uiharu and Saten gave them the all clear, saying that no suspicious characters were spotted in the area that day. On the walk there, Touma asked Index about her life in England. However, he was surprised when she said she could only remember up until about a year ago. She didn't even know her own identity. All she really knew was her knowledge of magic.

This troubled Touma greatly. If what the sorcerer Stiyl had told him was true, Index had a photographic memory. It was the reason she was the one holding the grimoires in her head. Yet she only had personal memories from up until a year ago. If she was incapable of forgetting, then she was forced to forget somehow. But why? Why force her to forget so much of her life? Touma couldn't help but ponder the question. Unfortunately, Index noticed his 'thinking' expression.

She deduced he was making that expression because of something she said and asked for confirmation. Touma hastily denied it, but Index wasn't buying his answer. She kept pushing the question, eventually leading Touma to say something insensitive without thinking. She responded in anger, biting him multiple times before running off by herself. Eventually, Index realized she was lost and struggled to make her way through the crowds of people. Luckily, despite the huge number of people, Index was able to run into some she knew.

"Index?" Mikoto asked as she approached, her hands full of bags, "What are you doing here? I thought you were with that idiot."

"You mean Touma? He said something really insensitive, so I bit him ran off," Index explained, "I ended up getting lost, though. I'm just glad I ran into you, Mikoto."

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Mikoto said, shaking her head, "We better go find him before he gets himself into more trouble. Knowing him, he's probably being chased across the city by a couple of delinquents."

"Why are there so many people here anyway?" Index asked.

"That thing over there," Mikoto nodded towards a spike that was driven through a nearby bridge, "Somebody cut that spike off a building and drove it right through the bridge. Kuroko thinks it's the work of some sort of Esper and is investigating it now."

"Sissy!" Kuroko called out, "Get over here! You're going to want to see this!"

Mikoto and Index quickly went over to where Kuroko was standing and asked what the big emergency was. Kuroko then pointed over the edge of the bridge to someone flat on the ground below. The person appeared to be a high school boy. He was passed out and covered in scratches and bruises, especially on his right hand. However, it was the school uniform and the spiky black hair that caught the girl's attention.

It was Touma.

* * *

 **Now that was a bit of a dosy.**

 **Sorry for cutting out so many of the fights. I just figured it nothing was really going to change in terms of the fight choreography, then I might as well not include them and force people who know how they go to read them again. Plus, it encourages new fans to see the fight scenes for themselves.**

 **So, Touma has a journal this time around. That's sure to shake things up in the future.**

 **Thank you all for reading! Leave a review if you like!**

 **Freedom!**


	11. Secrets

**A Certain Strange Addition**

 **New chapter! Writing this is just all kinds of fun, especially knowing that so many of you are so supportive to my additions and changes to the original canon. I see a lot of you really liked the addition of the journal. Didn't see that one coming, did ya?**

 **By the way, I went through the previous chapters and fixed the dates so they are consistent with the canon.**

 **Now, before we get to the meat, a little bit of Q &A!**

 **Awareness Bringer: I wouldn't worry too much about that. While Judgement Officers will get more involved now, these incidents won't be official Judgement work, so it will be off the books. I don't expect too many other Science Side Characters getting involved with magic for a while.**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Your going to have to wait if you want answers to Touma's potential memory lose. I'd go with Mikodex,too. Since their first meeting didn't involve fighting over Touma, I figure they would have a much friendlier relationship.**

 **mohamaster94: Boom! Update!**

 **narufuuin: Now that the journal is in play, I figured I could do a lot the shake things up. You know Saten is going to start peeking as soon as she gets the chance.**

 **MrQuestionMark: I'm just really enthusiastic about this story. Thanks for the kind words. I'm a very "go with the flow" kind of writer, I write what comes to mind with key destinations in mind. I guess experiencing the story with the characters as I write just really makes progression a bit more natural. The journal is something I wanted to add for a long time. I just needed to find the perfect opportunity for it to come into play.**

 **RedSS: Glad you agree with my choice to cut the fights. As for the journal, you'll just have to wait and see what I do with it.**

 **Bluejack222: Oh, I plan on making it crazy. Might be a bit short though. Not sure yet. As for the journal, you'll have to wait and see.**

 **Super Saiai: I'm not too sure about the Mental Out Arc right now. I need to check it again. Plus. considering he is incapable of retaining memories of her in specific before his big memory lose incident, he probably be incapable of writing about her.**

 **RPGPersona: Not sure what to say, considering your reactions to many of the events are what I expected. Thanks for reviewing, anyway.**

 **ahsoei: I'll be sure to adjust my balance of narration and dialogue.**

 **Agent Nine: Glad you liked the addition of the journal.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked the addition of the journal. You'll have to wait for what comes of it. I think you're going to enjoy what comes up.**

 **RareSilver: Yeah, but it's Kuroko, she'll go to any lengths when it comes to fulfilling her perverted fantasies. Don't worry, I have very special plans for the journal.**

 **ALostBlueIdoit: Glad you liked the addition of the journal. I'll be sure to make use of both it and Kami Disease in the future.**

 **Sorry about any guest reviews. I moderate those and I accidentally deleted them. My bad.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Secrets

It was the morning of July 27th, three days after Touma was found unconscious in the middle of the road. After finding him that night, Mikoto dragged Touma back to Komoe's apartment, where Index treated his injuries. He was in really bad shape when they had found him. He had to get bandages wrapped all around his head, a pad tapped to his cheek, and his right hand was practically mummified. Index may have gone a bit overboard with the bandages to his arm. He had been asleep ever since they found him

Index never left Touma's side the entire time he was out. Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten made sure to visit every morning and every afternoon to check on his condition. That morning, the girls were making yet another trip to visit Touma. Kuroko and Uiharu had the day off from Judgement, so with Summer vacation in full swing, they intended to stay keep and eye on Touma all day.

"Hey, Index, we're here," Mikoto greeted as the girls came in.

"How is he?" Kuroko asked.

"Same as ever," Index replied sadly, "Even now, he has not shown any signs of waking up."

"He was hurt so badly," Uiharu whimpered, "I wish we knew how exactly this happened to him."

"We'd all like to know," Saten agreed, "He was put in such a terrible condition, but no one saw a thing."

"It's all my fault," Index cried, "He was probably attacked by one of the sorcerers that were coming after me. He got hurt trying to keep me safe."

"Come on, Index," Mikoto encouraged, "We both know this idiot would go to any lengths to help someone. He chose to do this. So, chin up."

Mikoto could hardly believe what she was doing. Here she was, comforting a girl her age like she was her little sister. As expected of her photographic memory, Index seemed to know an awful lot about magic, religion, and history. However, she was also extremely naïve, like she was a four-year-old child. And that's not even considering her temper tantrums. It was like she lacked the life experience that a normal person her age would have had.

"Hey, Index, why don't you make something for Kamijou to eat?" Uiharu suggested, "A general rule of thumb is a person can go three days without water and three weeks without food. With how long he has been out, Kamijou will surely be hungry when he wakes up."

"Yeah," Index sniffed, "That's a great idea, Kazari."

"You want us to help?" Mikoto asked as she watched Index race to the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I'm a Sister," Index reminded them, "I know how to care for the needy."

Without much of another word, Index got straight to business with preparing something to eat for Touma. Little did everybody know that Index's only had minimum cooking skills, so the most she could make was rice, and that was with a rice cooker.

With Index 'busy' in the kitchen, the girls made themselves comfortable in the apartment. Komoe was out running errands for the time being, so they had to make sure the place was still presentable when she got back. The girls decided to lend the teacher a hand on organized all of the books that were scattered about the apartment. However, while organizing the books, Saten came across a single notebook that didn't seem to belong with the rest of them.

"Hey guys, look at this," Saten said, presenting the notebook, "Any idea what this is?"

"Oh, that's Kamijou's journal," Kuroko replied, "Apparently, he's been writing in it ever since he came to Academy City. It has everything he's considered important in it, from significant events, to profiles of his friends, to his personal tips for dealing with his misfortune."

"Really?" Uiharu asked.

"Yeah, he showed it to us the night he brought Index here," Mikoto confirmed.

Saten eyed the book for a minute, thinking about the stories it could hold. All the secrets it had to share. If there was something juicy in it, she could use it to blackmail Touma if she ever felt like it. The opportunity was just too good.

"Hey, you guys want to read it?" Saten suggested.

"Doesn't that seem a little wrong," Uiharu pointed out.

"Just leave it alone, Saten," Kuroko agreed.

"Yeah, nothing good can come from peaking at this idiot's secrets," Mikoto added.

"Come on, think about the possibilities," Saten encouraged, "Blackmail material, potential tactical weaknesses in battle, his taste in girls, what he really thinks about you?"

Hearing all of these possibilities, Mikoto struggled to resist. There was so much she could take advantage of, but she didn't want to betray Touma's trust. He has always been so lacks about his himself, but he always revealed things on his terms. It wouldn't be right for Mikoto to go digging into his journal like that. Unfortunately, Mikoto just couldn't resist. The temptation was just too great.

"For the record, you had me at 'potential tactical weaknesses in battle'," Mikoto conceded.

"Sissy!" Kuroko yelled in horror.

"This can't end well," Uiharu lamented.

Ignoring Kuroko and Uiharu's clear disapproval, Saten opened up the journal to the first entry, which appeared to be an event log of sorts.

"'It's been a few days since I came to Academy City'," Saten read out loud, "'After everything I had been put through, I guessed dad just couldn't stand it anymore. It made sense, I guess. It's one thing for your son to be shunned and called the god of pestilence for being unlucky, but it's another to have a man to attempt to stab your son for supposedly jinxing him and then have the media try to turn your son's unlucky life into a TV show.'"

Saten trailed off as she read that last sentence. She and the rest of the were stunned at what they all just learned.

"Is he serious?" Kuroko asked in shock, "He got stabbed because some guy blamed some bad luck on him."

"Y-yeah," Saten stuttered, scanning through the rest of the page, "Apparently, the man went bankrupt shortly after interacting with Kamijou and was extremely superstitious."

"I know he said he had it rough as a kid in his home town, but he never mentioned anything this bad," Uiharu added.

Mikoto remained completely silent. Her eyes drifted over to the unconscious Touma just across the room as her. This was what he had to deal with as a kid? It was terrible! No one should be stabbed for such a pointless reason, especially when they were so young. And yet, he pushed through it, sometimes even throwing himself into these painful situations. Was this why he was so dedicated to helping people? Had his constant, inescapable suffering made him unable to bear the thought of someone else being in that position? Mikoto had no idea.

"Doesn't if get any better?" Mikoto asked, "His situation, I mean."

"Hang on," Saten said as she flipped through the pages, "Yeah. He starts talking about his first and best friend he made in Academy City, a boy named Yuri Suzushina."

"I remember him," Uiharu added, looking over Saten's shoulder, "Kamijou told us about him one time. Look, there's even a reference to a profile on him somewhere else in the journal."

"In that case," Saten replied, flipping through until she came across the page, "Here it is. There's even a picture paperclipped to the page."

The girls crowded around the journal to get a better look at the picture. Said picture depicted a boy with black, spiky hair and a red shirt with his right arm slung over the shoulder of a boy with white, straight hair and a blue shirt. The girls easily deduced that the boy with black hair was Touma, leaving the other boy to be Yuri. Despite the two of them being as opposite as they possibly could be, they couldn't look happier. They both wore the brightest smiles the girls have ever seen on children and looked quite adorable together.

"Well, isn't that sweet," Mikoto mused, pulling away from the book.

"Kamijou sure put a lot of thought into this," Kuroko commented as she took the book a flipped through a couple of pages.

As she flipped through, she saw multiple other pages for Touma's friends, each with their own personal photo paperclipped to them. Kuroko's page had a picture of the two of them after a successful arrest. Uiharu's page had a picture of them busy in the Judgement Office. Saten's page had a picture from the time they all went to the batting cages.

Kuroko continued to flip through multiple pages before stopping on one that caught her eye.

"Hey, here's your page, Sissy."

"Let me see!" Mikoto suddenly jumped, snatching the journal from Kuroko's hands.

"You sure seem enthusiastic," Uiharu noted.

"Sissy, I don't think that's such a good idea," Kuroko whispered in concern.

However, Mikoto was too focused on the journal to listen. She scanned her page, reading out load what was written.

"'Name: Mikoto Misaka. Nickname: Zapper. Warning: Dangerously electric temper. Avoid angering at all costs. Check Classified Misfortune Survival Guild section Espers subsection 3 for further details.'," Mikoto read, growing furious at the last part, "I'm gonna clobber this idiot when he wakes up!"

"Sissy, you might want to read the rest of the page first," Kuroko advised.

"Fine," Mikoto yelled, still angry, "'She is an incredibly and independent girl. Despite her short temper and her occasionally childish behavior, she can be very understanding and dependable as well. When someone is in trouble or needs help, she takes on the role of the older sister, something I honestly always have found attractive in a girl. I'm sure she'd make a great girlfriend for some lucky guy. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly a lucky guy. Plus, she's never been to honest about her feelings, always hiding her love for Gekota. I wonder what other things she secretly loves.'"

At that point, Mikoto was completely shocked. This is what he actually thought about her? Sure, there were a few offensive comments here and there, but for the most part, it was all earnest stuff. Not to mention the last sentence suggested that he might have suspected she had other things she liked that she was embarrassed about. She could hardly believe it. However, it was the photo attached to the bottom of the page that really got her.

The picture was from an incident she would have rather forgotten. It was from the night that Touma made them all dinner after Saten had come out of the Level Upper workshop. Kuroko had attempted to drug her drink and make her fall asleep so Kuroko to take advantage of the situation. However, shortly after Mikoto took the first sip of the drugged drink, Touma was unlucky enough take her drink by mistake. Realizing that the two had shared an indirect kiss, Kuroko completely forgot about the drug and finished off the rest of Mikoto's drink, knocking her out almost immediately. Eventually, the drug took it's hold on Touma and Mikoto, causing them to fall asleep in a rather compromising position, at least in Mikoto's opinion.

The two of them were leaning against Touma's bed, with Mikoto resting her head on Touma's right shoulder. Touma's right hand was open upwards and Mikoto's left hand had fallen into it, making it look like the two were holding hands. Saten had taken the golden opportunity and took a photo of the two students, sending Touma a copy to his phone. When Mikoto learned of the photo, she zapped Touma's phone, destroying the data on the phone as well as the phone itself. However, she never suspected that he already had the photo printed, much less put it as her profile photo in his journal.

At this point, Mikoto was beet red and a puff of steam could be seen coming off the top of her head. She was just so embarrassed by what she had just read. The other girls were not different. They had always thought Touma was just dense, but his journal said otherwise. He could tell when a girl was special, but thought so little of himself that he never considers the possibility that they might have an interest in him. It was quite the embarrassing revelation to say the least. However, that embarrassment quickly turned to panic when they heard a certain passed out boy moaning behind Mikoto. Looking over her shoulder, Mikoto realized Touma was starting to get up. Not wanted to be cause with her hand in the cookie jar, she quickly shoved the journal into her bag before turning to face the now rising Touma.

"Good to see you're awake, idiot," Mikoto greeted, desperately trying to mask any embarrassment or guilt she felt for reading the journal.

"Misaka, everyone," Touma moaned as he got up, "Where am I?"

Unfortunately, his arm was still severely injured, and he grabbed it in response to the pain.

"Ow, that really hurt," Touma whined.

"Careful, you should really stay in bed," Uiharu reprimanded, "You're back at Ms. Komoe's apartment.

"The sun is up, so I guess I slept the whole night," Touma deduced, "I don't remember coming back here."

"You were out for three whole days," Kuroko explained, "Honestly, I'm surprised you woke up as soon as you did with how exhausted you were when we found you."

"Seriously? That long?" Touma asked.

However, he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he remembered his encounter with Kaori Kanzaki, the sorcerer that attacked him that night.

"Are you alright, Kamijou?" Saten asked, noticing his sudden silence.

"Never mind me! Where's Index? Is she alright?" Touma asked rather forcefully.

"S-she's just in the kitchen, making you something to eat," Uiharu stuttered, stunned by Touma's sudden outburst.

Touma let out a sigh.

"Then everything is alright then," Touma replied in releaf.

"What are you, stupid? Everything is definitely not alright!" Mikoto suddenly yelled, "We had no idea what happened to you when we found you passed out on the street! Index was blaming your condition on herself, saying she was the reason you were attacked! Seriously, you always try to take on all of this stuff on your own! You help others all the time, but you never let us help you! Why are you like this, you idiot?!"

At that point, tears were starting to form in the corner of Mikoto's eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room. The girls couldn't really blame her. After learning that Touma might be willing to return whatever mixed-up feelings she had for him, Mikoto didn't need to also worry about how little he valued himself in the eyes of others. He'd go to any length to help someone, maybe even to the point of sacrificing himself. She just learned he might have a chance at him, so she didn't want him to throw away that chance himself.

On the other hand, Touma had very little idea why Mikoto was so upset. Sure, he had been hurt, but he had come out of it alright. Plus, he had been hurt worse before. Regardless, he was the cause of her current sadness, so he had to be the one to fix it. With his right hand still wrapped in bandages, he reached out and petted Mikoto on the head. To say she was shocked by the gesture was an understatement.

"Hey, I managed to walk away from it, right? Just like I always do," Touma pointed out, removing his hand, "Don't worry, this unlucky Kamijou isn't going anywhere any time soon."

"Idiot," Mikoto giggled, wiping away whatever remnants of tears were in her eyes.

Touma smiled at her reaction. Honestly, he was expecting to get zapped for that last stunt. However, he quickly became worried when he remembered something the girls mentioned.

"Wait, did you say Index was cooking something?" Touma asked, slightly worried.

"Yeah, why?" Saten replied.

"Is that you, Touma?" Index called from the kitchen, "Thank goodness you're awake, and just in time for the meal I made for you, too."

Index came out of the kitchen with a pair of chopsticks and a bowl of rice. However, during their time with Komeo, Touma learned something paramount about Index's cooking; she only knew the basics and was pretty horrible at them. From what he could tell, the rice she made had way too much water added to it, making it extremely soft and mushy. How a girl as obsessed with food as Index was that bad and preparing it, Touma had no idea.

"Um, I appreciate it, but I'm not hungry," Touma admitted.

"Too bad," Index said sternly, "You have to eat to regain your strength. I'm a Sister, I know how to care for the sick."

"Yes, I know, but right now I just want some quiet time to myself," Touma insisted, "t-to meditate."

"Is that so? You don't want the food I made?" Index accused.

The two stared at each other for second. Touma's eyes held fear while Index's held accusations. However, their staring contest was broken when the bowl of rice somehow slipped from Index's hand and landed right on Touma's head, covering it with wet rice.

"Well, at least your bad luck is still in order," Saten joked.

No one had time to respond to Saten's joke as a knock was heard on the front door. The group suspected that Komoe had come back from her errands, but her voice from the other side suggested that she had even more guests. When Komeo opened the door, the pair of Stiyl Magnus and Kaori Kanzaki stood in the doorway.

"You again! What are you doing here?!" Touma yelled, getting up from the futon.

The girls were rather shocked by Touma's outburst. Based on how he reacted, they deduced that the pair were the sorcerers that have been attacking Touma and Index for the last couple of days. Whatever they were expecting, they didn't expect the sorcerers to look how they did. The girl, Kanzaki, was especially odd, having one jean leg torn off and her shirt tied off at the bottom, showcasing her well endowed figure. For religious people, they sure seemed to have rather flashy fashion sences.

"Ah, it seems like you're in pretty bad shape," Stiyl noted, "I don't think you're going to have much luck running away from me this time."

"So, you're the ones that have been attacking them," Mikoto said, stepping in front of Touma, sparking, "I still don't entirely understand this whole situation, but if you want a fight, I'd be more than happy to give you one!"

"What are you, his girlfriend?" Kanzaki asked sarcastically.

"Go away!" Index interrupted, "Please, I'm begging you. Leave them alone, and I'll go anywhere you want. I'll do anything you ask."

"Index, no!" Touma called out, running over to her.

"What are you thinking?" Mikoto added.

"Just take me! I'm the one you want, aren't I," Index continued, ignoring her friends' pleas, "But I ask one thing. I don't want you hurting Touma and his friends anymore!"

"The limit will be reached at midnight. We wanted to see if the ball and chain sufficient to keep you from running away again. Better than we thought," Stiyl said vaguely, " You don't want your little toy to be taken away, do you? If not, you'd best abandon any thoughts of running. Understood?"

Without so much as another word, the two sorcerers left the apartment.

"What was that about?" Kuroko asked, "What did he mean by 'the limit'."

"It's okay, you all don't have to worry. I can make a deal with them," Index said reassuringly, "After this is all over, you can go back to your normal lives. You can forget all about this."

Touma appeared rather destressed by her choice of words. His worry only grew when Index suddenly grew faint and collapsed. She would have fallen had Touma not caught her. The girls had no idea what was happening, but something was clearly wrong.

* * *

Night had fallen over Academy City. Index had been asleep ever since she collapsed earlier that day. No one could bring themselves to leave Index when she was in such a helpless situation. The only exception was Komoe, who left to run a couple more errands for the night, leaving Touma in charge.

Ever since Index collapsed, Touma had been completely silent. He was completely focused on the passed-out Sister. The girls wanted to say something, but didn't feel like it would be right to prod him for answers when he was like this. As a result, the apartment was completely silent.

However, the silence was broken by the ringing of a rotary phone. Digging through the scattered newspapers, Touma located the phone and answered. He remained silent for a moment, almost stunned, before beginning to speak. Unfortunately, do to the nature of the phone, there was no speaker mode.

"Yeah. Kanzaki, wasn't it?" Touma answered, "I'd rather not wake her up. … Why would you go out of your way to tell me your plans? Knowing what to expect will only make it that much easier for me to fight you. … You people are unbelievable. Index is paying the price for your incompetence. I thought you guys do sorcery. Can't you do anything with your magic to help her? She's got 103,000 books in her head. Maybe one of those has the answer. … What are you talking about? … Fine then why not trying to get to them with your own magic. … You knew that and you still let Index memorize them? … Alright then, but what about us? … I'm talking about science. I bet there are any number of ways to erase someone's memory by using science. You said magic can't be used to get to those books, but maybe there's something else that can. This is Academy City, remember? There are plenty of Espers here that know about manipulating the mind. I think it's still too soon to abandon all hope. But maybe you'd rather go for the quick fix you know will work instead of taking on a challenge. Never mind that it's your supposed friend's happiness we're talking about here. … In that case, I don't think we'll ever see eye-to-eye on this. No surprise there. But you should know I'm still gonna fight you no matter what! You should stay out of my way! I don't care what I have to do to you if it means saving her!"

Touma remained silent for a few more seconds before hanging up the phone. When he looked up from it, he was met with the odd stares from his friends.

"Kamijou, what was all that about?" Kuroko asked.

"Yeah, it was weird. From the sounds of it, you were talking to one of the sorcerers that attacked you multiple times now," Uiharu deduced.

"And what's this about them being Index's friends and erasing memories?" Saten added.

"What have you been hiding from us, idiot?" Mikoto asked sternly.

While it took a while to explain, Touma came clean and told the girls everything he knew. Apparently, Stiyl and Kanzaki were from Neccesarius, just like Index. They were charged with protecting Index and her dear friends, but Index was completely unaware of it. Due to a supposed limitation in brain capacity, the grimoires took 85% of her brain with the other 15% being left for other functions. As a result, she had to have her memories wiped every year, other wise she would die. Out of pain from doing this to her year after year, Stiyl and Kanzaki made a plan where they would pretend to be Index's enemies, so they wouldn't feel like they were betraying their friend when the memory wipes came.

When he finished telling them the story, Touma paused to let the girls take it all in. However, he did not expect Mikoto to respond so quickly.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Mikoto asked flatly.

"Huh?" Touma replied.

"It's impossible for someone to overload with memories," Mikoto explained, "The brain doesn't have a limit that's so small that it couldn't take in the information a person gathers over a lifetime, even if they have photographic memory."

"It's true," Uiharu added, looking through the internet on her handheld computer, "Research suggests that the human brain can store up to 104 years of memories."

"Now that you mention it, those figures for brain capacity they gave me did seem a pretty arbitrary," Touma realized, "But if an overloaded brain isn't doing this to Index, then something else must be doing it."

"Maybe it's some sort of curse," Saten suggested, "She said that if someone could use all 103,000 grimoires, they could manipulate the entire world. Maybe the church did something to her to control her and keep her from turning on them."

"That has to be it," Touma agreed.

Touma kneeled down above Index. He then looked down at his right hand.

"Hey, what time is it?" Touma asked.

"It's 11:55," Uiharu answered.

"Then we still have time," Touma said as he undid the bandages around his right hand.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Mikoto asked in concern.

"You always say I'm always playing the hero," Touma replied, tossing aside the bandages, "I think it's about time I actually be the hero."

Touma placed his hand on Index's forehead. However, nothing changed, indicating he had yet to come in contact with any magic. He looked up and down Index's body, trying to think of somewhere else that the church could have put a curse mark of some sort. Eventually, he was drawn towards Index's mouth by the sound of her increasingly heave breathing.

"They wouldn't, would they?" Touma mused.

"What are you thinking?" Kuroko asked.

"That I'm gonna regret this," Touma replied.

Not waiting for a response from his friends, Touma stuck a figure into Index's mouth, much to the shock of the girls. After a moment of wiggling around her mouth, Touma's figure grazed something and was instantly thrown back, nearly crashing into his friends.

"What was that?" Uiharu asked in concern.

No one bothered to answer her question as everyone was more concerned by Index. She started to float up into the air, coated in a black aura. Her eyes were blank and had some sort of runes imprinted on her irises. Suddenly, she charged straight at the students.

"Get behind me!" Touma yelled, holding out his right hand.

* * *

Just outside the apartment, Stiyl and Kanzaki approached. The clock had just struck midnight of July 28th and were prepared to conduct the memory erasing ritual. However, they were caught off guard when the door to Komoe's apartment was suddenly blow from its hindges and accompanied by a blue light. The most striking occurrence was the sudden spike of mana in the area.

The two sorcerers rushed into the apartment to see Index in John's Pen mode conducting magic. Amidst the destruction of the apartment were Touma and his friends, that former of whom was pushing the apartment's sliding doors off of them.

"Urgent warning," John's Pen said, "Read from chapter 3, verse 2. A rupture has been detected in all barriers, one through three. Regeneration provisions failing. Auto regeneration not possible. Action required to preserve the library. Assigning priority to interception of the intruder. Currently reverse calculating the magic formulas that have penetrated the barriers by accessing the library. Failure, unable to locate relevant magic. Breaking down formula composition to develop local weapon to eliminate the intruder. Locating most effective magic. Desired combination for intruder repulsion has been successfully acquired. Now deploying specified magic. Employing Saint John's Holy Sanctuary. The intruder will be destroyed."

* * *

 **That was fun. Also, cliffhanger! Why do writers always do this! Wait...**

 **Bet you didn't expect me to make references to throwaway jokes from earlier chapters, did ya?**

 **That's if for now. Next is the final chapter of the Index Arc. Leave a review if you like.**

 **See you all there.**


	12. A New Page

**Last chapter of the Index Arc, everyone! After the reception from the last chapter, I just had to get started on this one right away. Is this some sort of record? Probably not, but still.**

 **Today, we finish the Index Arc and answer the question eating away at everyone. What becomes of the journal?**

 **Before we get to that, let's cover some QA.**

 **narufuuin: What can I say, I have an evil side, but I also have a self-deprecating side. Something tells you'll like what I have here.**

 **Awareness Bringer: We're about to find out.**

 **Bluejack222: That sure sounds fun. Of course, I change some of the dialogue for a more fresh feel.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Surprise! I'm glad you liked the parts of the journal. Gives a little insight to what kind of kind of character Touma is, or at least how I interpret him. I'm surprised you didn't notice the "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" reference there. Kamikoto is always good for the heart, man, unless it's an overdose of electricity. The Railgang is definitely going to get more involved from now on.**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Fast update! We now see the fate of the journal.**

 **mohamadstar94: I might do that fight. Just need to find a good segue into it.**

 **ADdude: I get it if you didn't like the invasion of privacy. The point of it was that it wasn't cool, but everyone has their vices. Glad you liked the cliffhanger, but I can't really take credit for it. The episode in the anime did the exact same thing.**

 **Guest (1): You're about to find out who loses their memory, if anyone.**

 **RPGPersona: Yeah, that's pretty much the reason I've never been bothered by her behavior. I don't know much about girls, but if a journal is left with one girl that loves rumors and gossip and another girl that has a crush on the owner of the journal, I'm pretty sure they'd be more than tempted look. Still contemplating including a Misaki page somewhere in there.**

 **Handsomistic1: All those questions will be answered, right here, right now!**

 **ahsoei: All fair criticism. But, can a journal really be a Deus Ex Machina if there has been set up for it. Granted, I guess I could have set it up a bit earlier.**

 **Josephantom: Time to find out.**

 **Agent Nine: You may have mixed feeling about this.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: More involvement from the girls was the main idea. It really wasn't a surprise that the girls saw through the lie. Mikoto could do Touma's summer homework like it was nothing!**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked the journal part. Did you honestly think I was just going to make the journal a one time thing? I follow the Scott Cawthon philosophy of story telling, everything has a purpose.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Why, thank you for the kind words.**

 **Guest (2): Thank you! I am not worthy of such praise! Yuri, however, certainly is!**

 **Guest (3): I'll see what I can do about Misaki in the future.**

 **RedSS: Thanks for the kind words.**

 **Now that that's done, disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 12: A New Page

Index hovered before everyone, completely under the control of John's Pen. She radiated immense power, more than everyone else in the room combined. Needless to say, the sight was quite the shock. For as long as anyone had known her, she was believed to be completely powerless, needed a guardian to protect her with their magic. Yet here she was, more powerful than everyone else present.

"There's something I thought didn't quite fit since all of this started," Touma said straight to Index, "You're not an Esper like the students here, yet you told me you weren't able to use magic."

Index gave no reply. Instead, she fired a laser of pure magic straight at the person John's Pen labeled as an intruder to the grimoire library, Touma. Touma reacted quickly, throwing his right hand in front of him in defense. As soon as the blast met his hand, the sound of shattering glass rang out and the negating power within took effect. Touma struggled to hold his ground, using his left hand to support his right. His right hand negated the magic at an incredible rate, but it struggled to keep up with the constant flow of magic. Any more magic and Touma's right hand might just meet its limit.

"She sure seems to be able to use magic to me!" Saten yelled, shielding her face with her hands.

"This is impossible!" Styil yelled in shock.

"She told you the truth," Kanzaki called out, "She can't use magic!"

"Don't you see what's happening? The church has been lying to you this entire time about Index having no magical ability!" Touma explained, "Yeah, do you get it now? And that thing about her dying if her memory's not erased every year? That's another whopper! The only thing killing her right now is what ever magic the church planted in her! We just have to find a way to stop it! After that's done, there won't be any need to erase her memory! Think about it this way. The church made Index memorize a bunch of evil books without a second thought about her safety or happiness. That's the kind of group they are! Do you think they'd be likely to share their true plans with low level enforcers? Not convinced? Why don't you ask Index about it yourselves?"

The entire time Touma gave his speech, John's Pen continued to fire the attack. However, it soon realized that the attack was not working and elected to switch to an alternative spell, switching over to the new spell without skipping a beat. The new spell was another beam of magic, but much more powerful. It was several times larger than the original beam, taking nearly the entire room just to hold it.

Touma continued to resist the attack, but the strain was becoming too much. The force of the attack caused the joints in his had to crack and the blood vessels to pop. Touma screamed out in pain as he tried his best to hang on. Hearing his screams, the girls quickly crowded around him and applied pressure to his back and arm, doing whatever they could to make sure Touma didn't drop his hand, their only surefire defense.

"Why is Index acting like this?" Uiharu cried, "This isn't like her at all!"

"She told me about this once. It's called John's Pen," Touma explained, "It's a magic defense mechanism. When she is in extreme distress, it takes over her body and relays magic instructions directly from the grimoire library in her head, but I didn't think it could perform magic on its own, too."

"Clearly, she doesn't have any sort of control when this thing is active," Mikoto noted.

"Anyone else notice the room feels bigger?" Kuroko asked.

"It must be Index," Touma reasoned, "She might be using some sort of space distorting spell to create more distance and keep the library safe."

Meanwhile, Stiyl decided he had seen and heard just about enough from this unlucky Esper with the mysterious right hand. He yelled out his magic name, Fortis 931, and scattered hundreds of rune cards on the walls of the apartment. Once the rune cards were in place, Stiyl approached Touma and gripped the unlucky Kamijou's back.

"I have no interest in hearing your unproven theories," Stiyl declared, "What we know for certain is this; if we do this then we save her for the time being. I'll do whatever it may take to make sure that happens. I'll kill you if I must. That's what I decided long ago, so give up!"

"If you even consider hurting him," Mikoto threatened, holding an arcade coin in Stiyl's direction, "I won't hesitate to use this."

"Put away the railgun, Misaka. I can handle this," Touma insisted, "Is that really all you can hope for, sorcerer? 'For the time being'? That's not exactly a promise. I'm talking about saving her for good! There's only one question you have to ask yourself. Do you want to help Index, or are you too afraid to?!"

This last question left everyone present in shock. Even in his current condition, Touma was still not giving up on saving Index. Even a death threat from someone completely willing to attack him while his guard was down didn't make him waver. The girls new he would do anything to help someone, but to take a death threat and not even stutter was a whole new extreme.

"You guys have been waiting for a long time," Touma continued, "You want a happy ending for all of this, don't you? One where you don't have to be Index's enemy. You want to be her friends in truth and not the people who snatch away her memories every year."

The attack continued, causing more of Touma's blood vessels to pop and leak blood.

"You never gave up hope completely! You never stopped trying!" Touma continued despite of the pain, "You made a promise to yourself not to abandon her! Knowing what you would have to do, you made it your personal mission to save this girl who had been your friend and companion! You wanted to be the heroes of this story, so why content yourselves with supporting roles now? You told me earlier you swore to protect her with your lives, no matter who or what got in the way! If so, your part is far from over, it's barely even begun. Are you going to give up just because that's what turned out to be a little on the wrong side? If you help us instead of fighting us, then maybe you'll get your happy ending! So, let's do this!"

The attack never stopped. It soon began to overwhelm Touma's right hand, bending the fingers out of shape. The Academy City students panicked at the sight of their only defense being overpowered. However, Kanzaki stepped in and said her magic name, Salvare 000, and released her Seven Flashes. The seven wires that resulting from the spell pulled the floormates from under Index, causing her to fall backwards and fire the attack into space, unknowingly destroying a certain satellite that was rather important to Academy City.

Back on Earth, several white feathers fell from the sky, emerging from the beam of magic. Kanzaki recognized the feathers as part of the spell, Dragon's Breath. She warned everyone to avoid the feathers at all costs, explained that their power was equal to Saint George's Legendary Dragon Strike. Should one of them hit a victim, it would only spell trouble.

However, the feathers were not their only concern. John's Pen quickly realigned Index's body, once again directing the attack at Touma. Luckily, the attack never hit it mark as Stiyl summoned his flame monster, Innocentius the Witch Hunter King, to take the attack for Touma. Using this opportunity, Mikoto magnetized the various pieces of metal on Index's person, specifically the safety pins, and forced her against the back wall. Even though the pins appeared to be golden, Mikoto could tell they were just gilded iron. While it wasn't a lot to work with, it was just enough for Mikoto to apply her power. Kuroko then followed up by teleporting several of her pins into Index's robes, pinning her to the wall. Despite the distorted space, she managed to complete her calculations and have her pins hit their mark,

With Index now held still, Touma rushed in to stop John's Pen once and for all.

'God, they say you are good and just,' Touma thought to himself as he ran, 'If that is true, then I will be able to destroy this evil magic, to shatter this illusion. Are you good? Will you do justice?'

"We'll find out right now!" Touma yelled as he placed his right hand on Index's forehead.

The sound of shattering glass was heard. The beam John's Pen was casting disappeared instantly and Index's speech became slow and stuttered, like a glitching computer. The last thing she said before falling unconscious was, "John's Pen failing."

Touma could hardly believe it. They had done it. They saved Index. She didn't have to forget anymore. No one had to suffer from the loss of one's memories now. It was all over. Touma gently removed the pins holding Index to the wall before holding her close. He just wanted to savor the moment. Despite all odds and what everyone else had told him, he managed to save her from this cruel fate of yearly memory loss. He had effectively shattered every illusion the church had put on Index and her friends.

However, in his reveling, Touma failed to notice his friends calling out to him. He felt something land on his head and suddenly, the world went blank. His eyes grew dark and he collapsed on the floor, passed out.

* * *

The morning of July 28th was a hard one for the girls. After bringing Touma to his usual hospital, Heaven Canceller had given them some rather troubling news from his examination. Apparently, the feather from Dragon's Breath had destroyed the brain cells that dealt with memory. Specifically, he's episodic memory was completely wiped clean. It was quite ironic, really. He managed to save a girl from losing a year's worth of her memories and he loses his life's worth of his own.

In addition, it seemed Index would be staying with all of them for the time being. Stiyl sent a note intended for Touma giving thanks for his assistance, albeit begrudgingly. The note went on to explain that the church wanted Index to remain under Touma's protection for the time being, but only after they were confronted with the theories Touma and the girls proposed. Until they gathered enough evidence to prove those theories, Index would be left under Touma's protection and would return to the church eventually. Unfortunately, the note was magically set to explode after being read, so Touma wouldn't get a chance to read it since Index hastily opened it herself.

Currently, the girls were waiting outside of Touma's hospital room, one that he had gone to so many times in the past it was permanently labeled as his room. They had let Index met with him alone first. They figured they would give her the chance to thank the person who saved her personally, without the interference of anyone else. They sat outside the room for a few minutes before they heard screams of pain and biting from inside. A second later, Index stormed out of the room, grumbling something about Touma pulling a nasty prank on her and making her think he had forgotten everything. If anyone had to guess, she was probably heading for the cafeteria to vent out her anger through food.

The girls exchanged a look with one another before they too went inside to visit Touma. Sitting up in the bed and covered in bandages and fresh bite marks was Touma himself. He turned to face them, giving them a warm smile and a small wave of his hand. It seemed so casual, like someone greeting a good friend, but at the same time if felt fake, like there was no connection behind the action.

"Hey, Kamijou," Kuroko greeted, "You okay?"

"Well, aside from being injured while already admitted in a hospital, peachy," Touma said with a small laugh.

"So, you remember us?" Uiharu asked.

"Of course," Touma replied, "I'd have to be some heartless monster to forget about such wonderful girls like yourselves."

"Then you must remember your girlfriend here, Mikoto Misaka," Saten said as she shoved Mikoto forward, much to the rest of the girls' surprise.

"What kind of guy forgets his own girlfriend?" Touma asked rhetorically.

That last response all but confirmed it for the girls. Touma had most definitely lost his memory. He was just going alone with whatever they said, faking being okay for everyone else's sake. It was just like him, really.

"So, it's true," Mikoto whispered, heartbroken, "you did lose your memory."

"What are yo-," Touma began to say, but was cut off.

"The two of us were never dating," Mikoto interrupted, "Saten just told you that to bait you into revealing your true condition."

Touma remained silent for a second before dropping his head in disappointment.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented, "I was hoping to keep that act up for a little longer. It's really too bad, I would have considered myself lucky to have such a sweet looking girl as a girlfriend. Guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Like some girl would find interest in me."

"Anyway, you really don't remember anything from your past?" Mikoto asked, desperately trying to hide a blush.

"Not one thing," Touma admitted sadly, "The earliest I can remember is waking up this morning."

"So why lie?" Kuroko wondered, "Index stormed out grumbling something about you pulling a prank on her."

"When she walked in here, I genuinely didn't know who she was," Touma explained, "But she looked so sad thinking that I had lost my memories. Somehow, I felt as if I knew her and didn't want to be the one to make her cry. So, I lied, played it off as a joke and said that Imagine Breaker protected me from that magic."

"Imagine Breaker?" Saten asked.

"The negating power in my right hand. That's what the doctor called it," Touma replied.

"That sounds like a very fitting name," Uiharu complimented, "Nice to have a name to call it by now."

"So, you knew about it too, huh?" Touma mused.

He stared at said right hand for a moment before looking straight at the girls.

"You know, I don't know why, but you all seem familiar, too," Touma admitted, "I know it's cheesy, but I feel as if my heart remembers you all, even if my mind doesn't. It would still be nice if my mind did, though."

"Actually," Mikoto said, timidly taking a step forward, "I might be able to help with that."

She reached into her bag and pulled out Touma's journal. After inspecting it for a second to make sure it wasn't damaged in any way, Mikoto tenderly offered the journal to Touma. He looked at it for a second before accepting it to get a closer look.

"What's this?" Touma asked in confusion.

"It's your journal," Mikoto explained, clasping her hands, "You've been writing in it ever since you came to Academy City when you started elementary school. I've been keeping it safe for you. I figured it would help you with your memory lose."

Touma smiled slightly at the journal before putting it on his lap.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Touma said with a sad smile, "but this isn't my journal. That person died when the magic feather landed on his head."

"You know, even if you don't have your memories, you don't seem to have changed much," Mikoto admitted.

"Sissy's right," Kuroko agreed, "You still believe in doing what you think is right, even if others disagree."

"You're just as caring and you put others above yourself," Uiharu added.

"Not to mention, you still consider yourself unlucky. You even use the same catchphrase," Saten said somewhat jokingly.

"The you now might be different from they you before, but the old you is still part of the current you," Mikoto summarized, "At your core, you're still Touma Kamijou."

"Thanks," Touma said with a smile, "That really does mean a lot to me. If I may ask, what are your names?"

"Ruiko Saten."

"Kazari Uiharu."

"Kuroko Shirai."

"Mikoto Misaka."

The girls introduced themselves one after the other, not even skipping a beat. Despite not having any memories, Touma knew he considered all of them very precious friends. It was incredibly reassuring. They promised to help him through this. With their help and his old self's journal, he would be able to find some sort of normalcy in this world, despite forgetting most of it.

Touma looked at the journal in front of him one last time before picking it up.

"Hey, any of you have a pen I can borrow?" Touma asked.

Mikoto once again dug into her school bag and pulled out a ballpoint pen, handing it to Touma. He took the pen and flipped to the next blank page in the journal's personal log section and wrote a single paragraph.

 _It is July 28_ _th_ _. I woke up in a hospital room, unable to remember anything before then. Despite this, I was visited by five girls that all felt very familiar. So how, in my heart, I knew they were my precious friends. Their names were Index, Misaka, Shirai, Uiharu, and Saten. I may not remember everything about them, but I look forward to getting to know them again, no matter what the world and my rotten luck throw at me._

* * *

 **Now that was a satisfying chapter to write.**

 **Not bad for something made in a little over 24 hours, if I do say so myself.** **Next up is the Big Spider Arc.**

 **Before I say goodbye for now, there are a few things I want to make clear now that the magic side events are starting to be covered. First, Touma and nun relationships are not going to go beyond sibling-like relationships. The main reason for this is because I myself am a devoted Christian, Roman Catholic to be precise. Don't worry, I'm not planning on magically forcing you all to convert on attack you with a fleet of ice ships and a magical nuke. I just can't bring myself to write about nuns disregarding one of the most basic guidelines for nuns. So, sorry Orsola and Agnese fans, not going to see much of those ships.**

 **Second is something a bit petty on my part. If there's one thing I can say I dislike about the dub, it's the removal of the phrase "shatter your illusions" and its variants. As such, many of Touma's dub speak will be modified to accompany this. Speaking of which, you never realize just how long Touma's speeches can get until you actually have to write some of it.**

 **Also, see what I did with the title here? Hint hint, nudge nudge, punch you in the face.**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Guys! Girls! Kiss! That's a New Age greeting!**


	13. Living in the Past

**I'm back! Man, that took a bit longer than expected. I guess I burned myself out a little bit there. Regardless, I'm back with a new chapter, just for all of you. After a longer than usual grace period, it's time to start the Big Spider Arc! Now, be for we start, let's get some Q &A out of the way. Hey, that rhymed!**

 **MrQuestionMark: And following a fast update came a slow update. Glad you liked that I inserted "shatter your illusions" into the dialogue. I recognize that it's suppose to be a pun in Japanese, but that's the thing with puns, they're language locked. Such a shame too, since I love puns. Still, the phrase is as synonymous to Touma anything referring to his misfortune, so I had to have it in there somewhere. Nice to know you don't think removing nun ships will remove anything from the story. As for why I had Touma just add on to the old journal as opposed to starting a new one, its suppose to show that while Touma may have lost his memories, he is still the same person at his core. Sure, there are differences between pre and post Dragon's Breath Touma, but the core fundamentals of his character are present in both. Personality is a strange thing; no one knows where it truly comes from, whether it be genetics, personal experiences, or just something inherent to any specific person. There's a reason that Touma's character establishing moment at the very beginning (getting chased by a gang while trying to protect them form Mikoto, establishing his heroism, misfortune, and power) still works after he loses his memory in the first arc. Yeah, I didn't really expect anyone to pick up on that reference either. I have a weird memory that way.**

 **Awareness Bringer: While differences between our worlds exist, Kamachi has used plenty of actual religious beliefs when implementing them into his story, so I wouldn't be surprised if the general rules still apply and the nun ships were created to show that Kami disease is so strong it can overpower faith.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Don't worry, I fully intend to keep those wardrobe malfunctions. They were among my favorite jokes in the franchise. It completely caught me off guard when they brought the joke back. As for non-nun magic side ships, I will still have those as well. Itsuwa is my favorite magic side girl. I intend of Index to be kept out of the loop about Touma's memory. I see the girls as respectful of Touma's wish to not get any more people involved in his memory issues than what is necessary. Also, Touma will still be unable to remember Misaki. Just like in canon, Dragon's Breath only destroyed his Episodic Memory; it didn't change how it functioned. Touma is still unable to create and sustain memories of Misaki. Sorry about that.**

 **ahsoei: I thought the girls would be stronger than that. They also heard from Touma that Heaven Canceller is the best in the business, so they would trust his abilities. I decided to say that Mikoto as "heart-broken" because it would have hurt her to see the one she loved trying to hide something so impactful from her, something we all know is how she would really feel in such a situation since it has happened multiple times before.**

 **RedSS: Yeah, the journal pretty much gave the ending away, for most people anyway. To shield Touma, Mikoto would have needed something with substantial iron. Floor mates are made of woven straw and wood, so not much to work with.**

 **narufuuin: I imaged the girls being a bit stronger for their friend. Sure, Uiharu was a mess when Saten used the Level Upper, but remember, this is Touma we're talking about. They know that Touma can pull through, it's just up to them to help him through whatever he needs to deal with. I always thought Saten was the feet-first kind of person, thus to do something out of the blue like that would be in character.**

 **RPGPersona: Well, yeah, Touma was the only one capable of destroying John's Pen. I don't even want to think how a miscalculation from Kuroko would have ended. Thanks for pointed out that typo. Glad you're not bothered by my choice to remove nun ships.**

 **GhostofTime: I'm pretty sure Chuck Norris is still fighting Segate Sanshiro.**

 **Bluejack222: I wanted to depict the girls as being strong for their friend, much like Touma always does. Sorry if their reactions were a bit lacking. Nice to know I created a strong sibling relationship between Touma and Index in your eyes.**

 **ArmorCoreNineBall: You best keep your distance! My Kamikoto flagship will lead the charge of my other ships if you attack! Jokes aside, I'm glad you like the direction I took with Touma's memory. I actually built my interpretation of Touma's memory lose from reading your stories, so give yourself a pat on the back for that.**

 **mohamadstar94: Sorry to keep you waiting!**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: No, I really am Kamikoto trash. I won't deny that. I sail on my flagship proudly, leading my other ships into uncharted waters! Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **ADude: Touma's memory situation will be kept on the down-low. However, if someone figures it out, he might decide to come clean if they confront him about it. You'll have to see what I have in store for the journal.**

 **Guest (1): I wanted to make the girls appear strong for their friend. Sorry if their reactions were lacking.**

 **Guest (2): A bit slow on the roll there, pal. I brought that up in like chapter 3. The name should have been enough to give it away. Still, I don't think you will be disappointed with what I have in store.**

 **SpaceShooter: I won't deny that I'm gunning for Kamikoto, I still will add in other ships, even if I have to make them up. Just as long as they aren't nun ships. Speaking of which, I think Kanzaki would still be acceptable for me. Being a saint doesn't mean they can't be in love. I was trying to make them appear strong for their friend. Sorry if the reaction was lacking. I'll try to give these chapters a bit more polish in the future.**

 **anand891996: I wanted them to do more, but I couldn't think of much.**

 **MaiBilaro: Sorry to keep you waiting.**

 **Now that that's done, time for the obligatory disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Living in the Past

After Touma was let out of the hospital, he quickly had to adjust to his 'new life'. As the church had placed Index under his protection, she needed to stay somewhere where he could keep an eye on her. At first, Index suggested that she stay at his place, but Touma quickly pointed out that he lived in a one-person student dorm, no to mention how much of an issue it would be to have a boy and a girl living together like that. Luckily, Saten volunteered to house Index since she still had room at her dorm and no roommate. Touma could just check up on Index there every so often.

Of course, there was still the issue of feeding Index. With how much she eats, she could easily bankrupt anyone. Anyone that wasn't a Level 5 that is. Thankfully, Mikoto had plenty of funds from Academy City, so she could easily pay for the food Index was bound to devour. Not only that, but they were able to afford a cell phone for Index, so she could contact anyone should she need help while out in the city by herself. Granted, teaching her to use the phone was another issue, but with her photographic memory, it shouldn't be too hard, or at least they hoped so.

Despite just leaving the hospital with permanent memory loss, Touma had a rather lucky time. He woke up with friends that were willing to help him with his condition and a journal by his previous self to guide him in returning to normalcy for both himself and his friends. He didn't want to burden anyone else with his memory loss, so he, Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, and Uiharu agreed to keep it a secret from others. To keep up the act, Touma constantly studied the old journal so he could recognize people he had know before and act like nothing changed. For almost anything that wasn't written in the journal, he had his friends to help him, such as when they reminded him he still had to take remedial classes during the summer. That especially would have been problematic had he not been reminded.

Yup, Touma had a rather lucky time in the week since he checked out of the hospital. However, that was something that worried him greatly. Sure, he still had his usual bad luck, like slipping on cans or being in the room when Saten decided to flip Uiharu's skirt (something he had only just learned about after checking the misfortune survival note his previous self left), but the overall amount of bad luck he faced was less than what his journal implied was the norm. From what he could tell, that usually meant something really bad was going to happen.

Less than a week after being let out of the hospital, Kuroko and started taking Touma to a Judgement training facility to help him catch up on some protocol and special equipment. Protocol was an obvious must considering his memory loss, but special equipment was something Kuroko herself suggested. While Touma could very easily take down thugs and out-of-control Espers thanks to his street fighting and Judo skills he managed to keep through muscle and procedural memory, the latter of which he was lucky was not affected by his accident, Kuroko wanted to make sure he could help fight riots and larger opponents. As such, she was teaching him how to handle Judgement Issue riot shields and crowd control pikes. Who knows? It might come in handy if he ever had to fight an out of control Powered Suit or something.

To Kuroko's surprise, Touma was picking up the use of the pike rather quickly. In the time that they spent that morning training, Touma was already swinging the thing around like a bow staff. It was quite impressive.

"You're picking this up rather quickly, Kamijou," Kuroko commented, impressed.

"According to my journal, there have been a few incidents where I had to use a broom to hold off a few thugs I managed to make made," Touma replied sheepishly, "Guess those skills transferred over through my procedural memory."

"Guess you were pretty lucky in that department," Kuroko mused.

"Please don't bring up my luck," Touma deadpanned, "It's been rather tame lately. That only means something really bad is going to happen soon."

All Kuroko could do was laugh at Touma's expense. It was times like these that Kuroko felt particularly close to Touma. In a lot of ways, these training sessions felt like dates. If only Mikoto were there with them, then it would be a real paradise for Kuroko. However, her enjoyment was cut short when she got a call from the 177th Judgement Branch Office.

"Looks like we're going to have to cut this session short," Kuroko lamented.

"What happened?" Touma asked in concern.

"Kongou got attacked by a couple of Skill-Out thugs in an alley," Kuroko explained, "She's fine now, but we should head over there to investigate."

"Kongou? You mean Airhead?" Touma asked, "The girl with the fan and the huge ego?"

"Yeah, that's her. So, you wrote a section on her too, huh?" Kuroko mused as she and Touma put away the training equipment, "Well, at least that saves time on explaining things. Shall we get going?"

"Lead the way."

* * *

Touma and Kuroko met up with Uiharu and Konori at the scene of the crime. When they got there, they were rather stunned to see the alley filled with teenage guys beaten to a pulp, passed out. Anti-Skill had arrived to take the assaulters turned victims into custody, carrying them out in stretchers so they could also get medical attention. Meanwhile, the Judgement Officers were left to investigate what exactly happened. Uiharu was interviewing Kongou while Konori, Kuroko, and Touma inspected the alley itself.

"Maybe this marks the end of the recent outbreaks of Esper Hunts conducted by Skill-Out," Kuroko suggested.

"I doubt it. If anything, I'd say this is only the beginning," Touma disagreed, kneeling down to get a closer look at one of the attacker, "After how many of them were taken down here, I'd say it's only going to motivate Skill-Out to fight back harder."

"Still, going after someone like Kongou was a gutsy move," Kuroko admitted, "No matter how many of them ganged up, Level 0s would never be a match for a Level 4 Esper."

Touma let out a rather loud and clearly fake cough, reminding Kuroko of his position.

"N-not that being a Level 0 is a bad thing," Kuroko quickly corrected, "Besides, you're the exception, Kamijou."

"Besides, that isn't what happened," Konori interrupted.

"What do you mean by that, chief?" Touma asked, standing up.

"It's all in Kongou's report," Konori explained, "Kongou wasn't able to use her Esper ability. Fortunately, some stranger appeared and helped her."

The two girls instantly turned their attention towards Touma. They both had a somewhat suspicious look in their eyes.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Touma defended, "Just because Airhead wasn't able to use her ability and some random person helped her doesn't mean it was me! Besides, I'm not a stranger to her and was with Pigtails the entire time! Plus, if I was the guy that helped, why would I negate Kongou's ability? That's completely counterintuitive!"

However, Touma soon realized Konori was not paying attention to his rather comedic attempt at defending himself from what was clearly a joking accusation. Following her line of sight, Touma realized she was staring at one of the Skill-Out gang members being carried away. The strangest part was that the look in her eyes. They suggested that she knew this random Skill-Out thug, something that bothered Touma a little bit.

"Hey chief, you okay?" Touma asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" Konori replied, "It was nothing! Just spaced out a little there."

"Well, regardless, we should probably check with Uiharu," Kuroko suggested, "She might have been able to find something out from Kongou."

Based on Kongou's testimony, she suddenly found herself unable to use her ability due to some sort of painful noise. Before she knew it, she passed out on the ground. When she came to, all of the thugs were in the condition Judgement and Anti-Skill found them in when they arrived. In addition, Kongou managed to get a quick glimpse of the person who helped her. She described him as having a black, leather jacket and had a large spider tattoo on his back.

The description to the person sparked an intense reaction from Konori, something that didn't go unnoticed by either Kuroko nor Touma.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kuroko asked, "You seem a little distracted."

"Seriously, chief, if there's something wrong, you should rest," Touma suggested, "Just leave the rest of this to us."

"No, it's nothing, really!" Konori insisted, waving her hands.

"If you say so," Touma said wearily.

"So, we have a man with a leather jacket and a black spider tattoo," Kuroko mused, "Could he be the one who beat these guys up?"

Konori only remained silent, a sullen look in her eyes.

* * *

The next day, following the on-scene investigation, the Judgement Officers returned to the branch office to compile the evidence they had collected so far. While preparing some office for everyone, Konori brought up a specific branch of Skill-Out.

"Big Spider?" Kuroko asked.

"That's the name of the group that's been carrying out these Esper hunts?" Uiharu added.

"Who are they exactly?' Touma questioned, "I've been unlucky enough to have been chased through the city by pretty much every gang in the city, but I've never heard of them."

"I'm surprised you say that, Kamijou. Big Spider has always been rather well known, even among those in Skill-Out. They used to know where the line was, but have degenerated into a band of outlaws. They probably never attacked you since they didn't think it was worth it, even if you did something to anger them."

"Really? They sound more like a bitter mob sulking at the rest of the world to me," Kuroko admitted.

"Maybe," Konori agreed, handing everyone a cup, "Despite the indignation they felt, and the anger, they maintained a sort of admiration for Espers."

"It sounds like you really knew a lot about them," Touma pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so," Konori replied with a stiff laugh.

"You've done your research," Uiharu complimented.

Despite the overall happy mood, Touma couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with Konori.

* * *

Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Touma all met up at a diner for lunch. Index had come along as well, having heard the opportunity for food from Saten. Everyone had already finished their meals and were left with drinks. The only exceptions were Uiharu and Index who each had a parfait, with Index's being five times the size of Uiharu's. While eating, the Judgement Officers brought up the incident involving Kongou, something that Mikoto was not pleased to hear.

"Somebody attacked Kongou!" Mikoto yelled, pounding her fist on the table.

"Calm down now," Kuroko insisted, "You should just take it easy, Sissy."

"Guys like that are disgusting," Mikoto vented, "Ganging up and attacking a girl like that. Come on!"

"You, uh, seem pretty worked up about this, huh Misaka," Saten noted.

"Does this have anything to do with how me first met?" Touma asked, remembering that particular journal entry.

"What does that have anything to do with it?" Index asked, suddenly interested in something other than her food.

"Misaka and Kamijou apparently first met when Misaka was being hit on by a gang of guys one night," Uiharu explained, "Kamijou saw this and tried to help, but everything kind of spiraled out of control and she learned about Imagine Breaker in the process."

"Did Touma met all of you after trying to help you, too?" Index further questioned.

"Not all of us, but in a sense. It was that inherent heroism that caught Judgement's attention in the first place," Kuroko replied, "After a bit of strong-arming by his class, he ended up joining."

"Anyway, that's beside the point," Mikoto interrupted, "I just can't stand people who would rather hurt others instead of facing their own reality. If you want my opinion, it's both futile and cruel."

"It's beginning to sound like your talking about me now," Saten said with a stiff laugh.

"What? You're nothing like that, Saten," Mikoto insisted.

"Yeah, she's right," Kuroko added, "Skill-Out only act when they can do so as a gang. It takes a lot more guts to act on your own like you did when you we so desperate to level up."

"Okay, that's enough out of you," Touma interjected, standing up behind Kuroko and lightly chopping her in the back of the head as a warning, "And people tell me I constantly put my foot in my mouth."

"I thought that Skill-Out was made up of Level 0 runaways. Why would they be attacking Espers like this?" Mikoto asked.

"You know what they say, 'you're stronger when you act as one'," Touma replied, crossing his arms in thought, "Gather enough people, and even some of the strongest Espers can have a hard time. A single person can only fight so many opponents at once."

"Not only that, but we've recently learned that Big Spider has been getting access to illegal weapons through the Black Market."

"Huh." Mikoto mused, "I think these guys would think differently if they tangled with me."

"Now, now, Sissy," Kuroko flirted, snuggling up against the Level 5, "You know, if you want somebody to tangle with, you don't have to look father than right here."

"That's not what I meant!" Mikoto yelled, trying to pry Kuroko off.

"Would you two quit it? We're in public," Touma injected, attempting to help separate the two.

"Oh? Do want in on this too, Kamijou?" Kuroko replied, attempting to pull the unlucky Level 0 in.

"When and why did I become part of your perverted fantasies?!" Touma yelled in desperation.

"So, how'd it all go down?" Saten asked Uiharu, ignoring her other friend's argument, "Those Skill-Out were caught, right? But who was responsible?"

"Apparently, some mystery man showed up and took them all out," Uiharu explained.

"Wow, a mysterious Hero of Justice," Saten mused.

"Maybe he was secretly a magician that specializes in the projection magic, creating an endless supply of weapons out of thin air," Index offered.

"I think that might be taking it a bit far," Uiharu admitted.

"Hero of Justice! Please!" Kuroko yelled in outrage, ceasing her sexual assault on her friends, "Members of Judgement and Anti-Skill are the only people that should be involved in fighting crime! This person is nothing more than a vigilante!"

"Doesn't that describe Mikoto and Touma before he joined Judgement?" Index asked.

"Did I really describe them like that?" Kuroko asked awkwardly.

"You certainly did," Index replied flatly, knowing that denying her claims was futile with her photographic memory.

Kuroko's only response was to laugh stiffly while Touma and Mikoto's eyes drifted off in another direction, attempting to ignore the awkward situation, despite still being tangled up. Unfortunately, the situation only got even more awkward with the sudden announcement of two new and familiar voices.

"You're doing it again, Kami?!" Tsuchimokado yelled as he and Aogami approached the table.

"Seriously! Me and Tsuchimokado come in to grab lunch, and we find you tangling with two of your girls! Not to mention you're doing it in public!" Aogami added.

"Not only that, but you've also collected a nun!" Tsuchimokado pointed out, pointing at Index who as once again distracted by her parfait.

"Is nothing sacred to you!" both boys yelled in sorrow.

"Rotten luck! This is not what it looks like!" Touma denied, "Also, how do you keep showing up like this! You claim to just be going to lunch like the rest of us, but I'm starting to think you're actively following me around just to accuse me of stuff! Is some higher power just dropping you two off near me whenever something like this happens?!"

Clearly, the someone outside Academy City's plain of existence was amused by the situation.

* * *

Then next day, the Judgement crew and Mikoto gathered in the branch office to find any other leads on Big Spider. After a bit of research, they deduced that the illegal weapons were coming from some sort of benefactor. In addition, they found out that the group's leader, Wataru Kurozuma, was a rather ruthless fellow, not hesitating to shoot anyone who attempts to leave the gang. He also had a spider tattoo on his back, matching the description of the person that saved Kongou. Combined with the previous evidence, the group deduced that he was simply fighting another branch of Big Spider that tried to defect. Eventually, Uiharu was able to narrow down the possible locations of Big Spider's hideout in the area of District 10 known as Strange. Apparently, it was a popular area for gang activity, especially Skill-Out gang activity.

Excited to finally have a lead, Mikoto dragged Kuroko out of the office to investigate immediately. Despite her best efforts, Kuroko couldn't say know to her. They invited Konori and Touma to investigate with them, but they both claimed to have a lot of paperwork they needed to finish up.

However, Touma was only telling half the truth. Ever since the investigation turned towards Big Spider, he had noticed Konori had been a little off. Despite only really knowing her personally for a few days, he could tell something was bothering her. With this in mind, he elected to stay at the office and talk to her when she seemed ready to.

Several hours passed and nothing changed in Konori's condition, as far as Touma could tell. Uiharu had left a few hours ago for lunch with Saten and Index. The two remaining members of Judgement simply sat at their desks, continuing their paper work. Eventually, Konori shut off her computer and excused herself, leaving Touma alone in the office. Looking out the window, Touma could tell Konori was definitely not making her way to District 10.

Seeing as no one else was around, Touma pulled out his journal and looked up Konori's profile for reference. Among her personal information was her dorm's address. From what he could tell, the path she took led straight to it. Touma put the journal away before continuing with his paper work for a few more minutes, just to give her a head start. Once he was satisfied with how much time had passed, he gathered his things and left the branch office, intending to visit Konori. If she wasn't going to come to anyone about this, he was going to have to come to her.

* * *

After arriving home, Konori opened up her closet and eyed a single article of clothing she had not touched for a long time. For two years, that red, leather jacket just hung in the closet, gathering dust. After what happened two years ago, Konori wasn't sure she could ever even think about looking at that jacket, yet here she was, contemplating its origins.

Not too long after, Konori was greeted by her surprised roommate and fellow member of Judgement, Aomi Yanagisako. Considering Konori was usually busy with Judgement work, Yanagisako asked what happened to said work. Konori promised to take care of it, but countered with a similar question. Yanagisako was never on to show up at the branch office too often.

"Being on campus is enough for me," Yanagisako replied, "I have matters of love an youth to attend to."

"Honestly, you're always like this, aren't you?" Konori scoffed.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Yanagisako asked, noticing her friend's overly relaxed, almost depressed body language.

"Not really," Konori insisted unconvincingly.

Seeing as Konori wasn't going to say anything for the time being, Yanagisako decided to just role with it.

"Okay. Well, since you're home early for once, maybe you can take a turn cooking dinner?" Yanagisako suggested.

"Huh? That's not fair, Aomi!" Konori protested.

However, the argument never got to take off. They were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. Curious about who it was, Yanagisako ran over to the door and answered. Needless to say, she was surprised at who was on the other side.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for a Mii Konori. She's a friend," the guest replied, "This is her dorm, right?"

"Mii, there's someone here to see you!" Yanagisako called back into the dorm.

When Konori walked out, she was not expecting Touma to be standing in the doorway.

"Hey there, chief!" Touma greeted with a wave, "Just thought I'd come by to check on you."

"Who is this guy, Mii?" Yanagisako asked, "Is he your secret boyfriend or something?"

"Not at all. If you actually showed up at the branch office every once and a while, you would know," Konori sighed, "His name it Touma Kamijou. He's a new member that joined the branch a couple weeks ago."

"So, you're the infamous Judgement Officer that never shows up for work," Touma mussed.

"I guess I am," Yanagisako giggled, "I'm Aomi Yanagisako. It's a pleasure to meet you. Care to come in?"

Touma replied with a simple nod. He stepped inside and took of his shoes, leaving them at the door. He then joined to two girls in the main room, making himself comfortable on the floor.

"So, what was the visit about again?" Konori asked.

"You just seemed a little out of it at work," Touma explained, "I thought I'd come visit, just to check on you."

"I told you all before, I'm fine," Konori insisted.

"Come on, chief, you can't fool me," Touma countered, "You don't think I've noticed your sudden change in behavior ever since Big Spider was suspected? Something is definitely wrong and all you're doing is trying to cast the illusion that you're alright. Just come clean."

Touma gave Konori a long and determined stare. From the look in his eyes, Konori knew he was not going to give up on this. It was just like him to be so determined to solve a problem like this. During the many times the two of them had gone on patrol, Konori couldn't help but lose track of how many times Touma stopped to help with a small problem. Normally, people would come to them for help, but with Touma it was the other way around. He when on duty, if he saw any sigh that someone even remotely needed help, he was there to provide it. No one needed to ask him for help. It was just how Touma was.

"All right, you win," Konori conceded, "You're right, the case has been bothering me for a while now."

"Care to elaborate?" Touma asked.

"If I must," Konori agreed, "Aomi, could you step out for a moment."

"Sure, I can do that. Just don't go playing 'hide the salami' while I'm gone," Yanagisako giggled.

"As if!" Konori yelled in defense.

"What kind of person do you take me for?! I just met you!" Touma added.

Ignoring their arguments, Yanagisako stepped out of the room, leaving the two to their devices.

"So, where were we?" Konori asked, trying to get over the embarrassment.

"You were going to elaborate why you were bothered by the case," Touma reminded her.

"Right," Konori replied, taking a deep breath, "Its just that I have a bit of a complicated history with Big Spider."

"So, you knew them personally," Touma deduced, "You were attacked?"

"No, I was only a Level 2 at the time," Konori clarified, "If fact, I kind of respected them, in a sense. I hit a bump in developing my ability, but they seemed to be so happy and satisfied despite being stuck as Level 0s. They were close to one another and looked out for each other."

"Which is why you held them in such high regard back then," Touma reasoned, "You knew they were a rather friendly group."

Konori nodded.

"Yes, but that all changed two years ago," Konori continued, but was interrupted by the sound of Touma's phone going off.

Taking out his phone, Touma found that he had received an email from Kuroko. Apparently, she and Mikoto had found a lead as to the location of one of Big Spider's hideouts. She was messaging him for some additional back up.

"Looks like Pigtails and Zapper found a lead on Big Spider," Touma noted, getting out of his seat, "They might have found the leader, Wataru Kurozuma, and called in for backup. Are you coming along?"

"I'm not sure," Konori stammered.

"You can't keep avoiding this forever," Touma said, offering his right hand, "It's about time you come to terms with your past. I may not know what happened two years ago, but I know you can move past it. I'll be right here to help you."

Konori stared at Touma's hand for a moment. It was the hand Touma favored when throwing a punch. It was the hand that held the power known as Imagine Breaker. It was the hand of someone who worked tirelessly for the sake of others. But most importantly, right now, it was the hand offering her help.

Deep down, Konori knew Touma was right. She couldn't keep running from this. She had to face this case and her past at some point. It seemed like now was the time, even if he turned out to be there. Besides, she had Touma here to help her. She knew Touma wouldn't fail at doing that.

Timidly and still a little unsure, Konori took his hand.

* * *

It took longer than expected, but Touma and Konori arrived at the address that Mikoto and Kuroko had sent Touma. It was almost sundown by the time they arrived. However, they were met with quite the surprise when they arrived. Appearing to be comforting Mikoto and Kuroko after being attacked was a man wearing a leather jacket. He had greasy red hair and was carrying a large carton of milk.

Touma didn't recognize the man, but Konori seemed to stop in her tracks when she got a good look at him. To Touma's confusion, Konori picked up her pace, pulling ahead of him before stopping just behind the man.

The man took a large swig of milk from the carton, sighing in satisfaction.

"When it comes to milk," he began to say.

"It's got to be Musasino," Konori finished, surprising everyone present.

"Chief?" Touma asked in confusion.

"It's been a long time, Mii," the red-haired man replied, turning to face the high school girl.

The three other students looked back and forth between Konori and the man, saying "huh?" in unison with each look. Needless to say, everyone was outright confused.

* * *

 **And the first chapter of the Big Spider Arc is done!**

 **This one was pretty fun to write. A little bit of Index housing planning here, some Judgement training there, harem jokes, Delta Force, character exploration, and references. I'd say that filled in my usual checklist for writing a chapter for this story. Also, I have involuntarily created a new nickname for Konori. Pretty fitting, wouldn't you say? And not at all insulting! Probably.**

 **Pretty convenient that the next arc I cover after Touma loses his memory involves a character dealing with her past. It's like the anime watching order was encouraging me to write this story!**

 **That one reference might have been a bit on the nose and cheeky, but whatever. They both had red hair and the original English Dub dialogue pretty much set me up for it. Just had to make a few edits.**

 **Anyway, see you all next time!**

 **Why, oh why? Wh-Wh-Wh-Why? Yo, yo!**


	14. Face the Future

**Man! This took much longer than it really needed to. Sorry about that. I was really busy with life and struggled to find time to write. Also, I am officially qualifying this story as a harem story, but I will still make Kamikoto the ship with the most focus. Sorry, but that's how I roll. But now that I have finished this chapter, let's get the ball rolling with the Q &A!**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Oh, my ships are more than prepared to take on you Unlimited Harem Works. On board each of my ships is an entity that represents everything that the ship stands for. With my Harem Loader, I can use the power of Harem-Fuse to fuse my ship entities together! Now face the power of the greatest Harem-Fuse, the Final Fusion! Prepare to face the combined power of all of my ships in the form of Kamikoto X7F Superior Mode! Now, on to the actual review response. That was the main goal of many of the changes. The idea is that with more people in on the magic secret, more people can provide help in whatever way they can and ease his suffering, because he suffers enough as it is. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how much more of an active role I want to give the rest of the Delta Force. Tsuchimokado is a given but Aogami has always been a wild card. I do plan to have the Delta Force fully involved in something, but not anything too important.**

 **ahsoei: I figured a lot of people would like the changes with Index's living conditions. I'll try to improve on being descriptive with emotions. I think this particular chapter might be a good start to practice that.**

 **MrQuestionMark: The way I see it, if they provide something to progress the plot in some way, whether through plot progression or character exploration, it's not filler. I'm glad you liked the direction with Index. Also, Mikoto doesn't confront Konori until after they learn the connection between her and Kurozuma. I promise, more diversions from canon will come, just that most of them are character relations rather than plot points. Yeah, I liked the nickname too. I had to put a lot of thought into that one.**

 **RedSS: I figured the placement of the Big Spider Arc was perfect to explore Touma's personal issues with his memory lose, something I didn't feel got enough attention. Glad I can provide some context of Railgun for you.**

 **narufuuin: I take a note from Scott Cawthon when it comes to writing stories; every detail is important, no matter how small. Also, this is a few days after the incident, so Touma would have taken the time to look at the friend profiles and recent entries in the journal to be at least up to date on current events. Also, Index life support group was a change I had planned from the get-go, so it's nice to finally have it in place.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Thank you.**

 **Guest (1): Sorry this took so long. The girls helping to house and feed Index was planned from the get-go so it nice to finally have it in place.**

 **Guest (2): I'd need to catch up on the Accelerator manga and find out how all of those events line up with all of the other events to get Touma involved in them. I'll have to keep that change for Mikoto in mind. More sisterly love is always a win.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot : Aogami has always been a weird one. We know practically nothing about him. Other ships will still get some focus. It's really me just spending more time on ships I prefer. It will still be a harem, just a more unbalanced harem.**

 **Bluejack222: I just wanted to throw Touma a bone. Besides, it's not like her not living with him will affect how certain plots progress to much.**

 **Agent Nine: Thank you for the kind words. Sorry for the wait.**

 **RPGPersona: Well, that was the point of pawning Index responsibilities on girls more capable of handling them. Touma did suspect that Index has selective photographic memory. I needed some way for Touma to viably fight security bots and powered suits later on. The chapter needed comedy, so a threw in some more comedy. That just my honest interpretation on a lot of these characters. If you've seen 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' you might know of the joke "hide the cucumber' which is a modification of the original joke made specifically for Hulk.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: One of my favorite joke in the chapter, to be honest.**

 **School (Guest): I'll try, though it might happen a bit latter. I'm thinking Silent Party Arc for Mugino and ITEM. The number 6 is really less of a plot hole, more of a secret Kamachi refuses to give us answers for.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: That is why I included it.**

 **Guest (3): I might make a crossover at some point, but for now, they are just references because I like references that much.**

 **mohamadstar94: Sorry it took so long.**

 **Cyber dragonarmy: Thanks! Sorry it took so long.**

 **dark knight 52: Sorry it took so long.**

 **Disclaim** **er: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Face the Future

"It's been a long time, Mii."

That one sentence from the man with greasy red hair was enough to leave the other students in a stupor. Said stupor only became more intense when Konori replied in a rather familiar manner.

"Kurozuma," she said, "you're really alive."

"Sure looks that way," the man now identified as Kurozuma mused.

"But why? Why didn't you bother to contact me after all this time?" Konori asked, clearly upset, "I thought, you were dead."

The two of them exchanged a look, as if to silently communicate to one another. Kurozuma's eyes then drifted downwards towards Konori's arm, where she wore her armband. Noticing this, she quickly covered it, trying to keep Kurozuma from seeing, but it was too late. Kurozuma simply laughed to himself quietly before starting to walk away.

"Don't worry about me," he said as he walked past Konori, "I can easily disappear again."

"Come back!" Konori yelled.

She watched as he silently continued walking, seemingly ignoring her.

"Please don't go," Konori whispered as she watched Kurozuma leave.

As Kurozuma continued on his way, he passed by Touma, who was still standing a few meters behind Konori. The two boys' eyes met, albeit briefly. In that moment, Touma felt something deep inside of him. There was something about this young man named Kurozuma that just didn't sit right with him. The vibe he gave off was both familiar and unfamiliar, but Touma couldn't figure out what it was. When they finally broke eye contact, all Touma could do was watch Kurozuma leave.

'What was that.' Touma thought to himself.

* * *

The next day, Touma, Mikoto and Kuroko told Saten and Uiharu about the apparent connection between Konori and Kurozuma. They were having lunch at Joseph's, as per usual. The only person not present was Index, who elected to stay at Saten's dorm to watch television since Saten had left some food for her. Of course, elaborating the situation was no easy task as Uiharu and Saten kept interrupting with outbursts of disbelief and questions that Touma and Mikoto were already trying to answer. It also didn't help that Kuroko didn't feel like chiming in as she preferred to stay an outside observer regarding Konori and Kurozuma's relationship.

Eventually, Saten had enough and decided to just go straight to Konori for answers. Unfortunately, the Judgement Officers revealed that Konori never showed up at the office. Not only that, but they couldn't contact her on her cell phone either. It was strange. It just wasn't like Konori to disappear during a big case like the Esper Hunts. With her off the radar, they didn't have many leads for her relationship with Kurozuma. However, Touma had an alternative.

"Well, if we can't go to Konori, for answers, I think I might know someone who can," Touma admitted with a sigh.

"Who?" the girls asked in either curiosity or desperation.

* * *

"Nice to see you again, Kamijou."

"Same, Yanagisako," Touma replied with a nod.

'His friends were right, he does get around,' the girls thought among themselves.

Not long after leaving the diner, Touma had led the girls to Konori's dorm they were introduced to Yanagisako, Konori's roommate. After the usual bit of everyone else accusing Touma of picking up girls behind everyone's backs and explaining their concerns regarding Konori, Yanagisako invited them all in to talk in a more comfortable setting.

With everyone sitting down at the kitchen table, the group explained the recent discovery of Wataru Kurozuma, something that felt Yanagisako surprised to say the least.

"So, he's alive," Yanagisako mused.

"You know him?!" Saten and Mikoto yelled, jumping out of their seats.

"It shouldn't be that big of a surprise," Touma reasoned, "Konori did tell me that she had a complicated history with Big Spider."

"Complicated is certainly one way to put it," Yanagisako agreed, "After all, until two years ago, she was a member of Big Spider."

The room remained silent for a moment. Afterwards, all hell broke loose.

"Huh?!" all the girls replied.

"So that's what she meant by complicated," Touma mused.

"What's with that under reaction?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Unbelievable! There's no way!" Uiharu protested, "She's a senior member of Judgement!"

"She is now, but she used to have a wild streak," Yanagisako explained.

"Sorry for speaking out of turn, but this doesn't make much sense," Kuroko interrupted, "Konori is a Level 3 Esper and could have joined any number of organizations. A Level 3 like her has no place among a gang of Level 0s."

"You would think that, but that's simply not the case," Touma countered, "She told me the other day that she first ran into Big Spider when she hit a wall with her ability and was stuck as a Level 2."

"That's right," Yanagisako confirmed, "The depression was too much to handle for her. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere. At least, that was until she met Kurozuma and Big Spider. They may have been a gang, but they never did anything more harmful than hang out and goof off. I was worried too; she was hiding the fact that she was an Esper and it didn't seem right. But, according to Mii herself, it was the one place where she felt she could truly be herself."

"Being yourself, huh?" Saten mused with a smile.

"Alienation. Self-discovery. Everyone in Academy City experiences those at some point," Yanagisako summarized, "It's a fact of life here, like Chicken Pox."

"The problem with that is you only catch Chicken Pox once," Mikoto argued, much to everyone's shock.

Although she didn't say another word, the look in her eyes clearly showed that something just didn't seem right to her.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and the group had just left Konori and Yanagisako's dorm. There was an odd tension in the air as they walked in silence. The only sounds that could be heard was the neighboring traffic.

"I don't get it," Mikoto said out of nowhere, stopping in her tracks.

"What don't you get?" Kuroko asked.

"It's bad enough already that Konori used to be a member of Skill-Out, but now she's missing all of this Judgement work too," Mikoto replied, "The two seem to be connected so how."

"I'm sure the chief is-," Touma began to say, but was cut off.

"She's past all that!" Mikoto interrupted, "Whatever happened before, Konori is a hardworking member of Judgement now! She's strict sometimes, but nice to us and she's dependable. That's the Konori we know. So why is she behaving like this now?"

"I have a feeling it's not as cut and dried as you make it sound, Misaka," Saten offered, "Just like everybody, who Konori is, is a result of who she was. Besides, it sounds like that part of her past has special meaning to her and is hard to let go."

At that point, Touma had stopped paying attention to the conversation. All this talk about a person's past shaping who they are was starting to bug him a bit. It was only natural, he has no true recollection of his past before July 28th. He has no memory of what shaped him into who he is today or if the current him was actually shaped by any past events at all. Sure, he had his journal which was filled with important events going back as far as his days in elementary school, but it was a big journal. The most he had been able to go through so far was the last couple of weeks and the profiles of his closest friends. It made him feel vulnerable.

Who was he supposed to be? Is he Touma Kamijou, a normal high school student that happened to be a member of Judgement? Is he Touma Kamijou, the hero with the mysterious right hand known as Imagine Breaker that could negate anything supernatural? Or is he a faker, a boy with no identity, ideals, or ambitions of his own who only borrowed them from a boy named Touma Kamijou whom had passed away? These questions plagued his mind to the point that his discomfort with them was visible on his face.

"Hey, Kamijou, are you okay?" Uiharu asked in concern, "You spaced out for a second

"Peachy," Touma replied, attempting to hide his own issues.

"Anyway," Mikoto said, returning to the current conversation, "I just don't get it.

At that moment, something inside Touma snapped. For Mikoto still not get the importance of one's past just felt like a punch to the face for him.

"I don't get what's so hard to understand. A person's past is what builds them up, and everything, the good and the bad, contributes. It's not something someone would like to throw away. I know I didn't," Touma said rather coldly, especially the last part.

"Kamijou, I sure Sissy didn't mean it like that," Kuroko insisted.

"Look, I need to get home, I have a lot of homework," Touma replied, ignoring Kuroko's attempts at comforting him, "I'll see you girls tomorrow."

Without another word, Touma walked off, leaving the girls to contemplate on what his stake in all of this was.

* * *

The next day, Konori once again never showed up to the branch office. While everyone was doing their work, Mikoto just stood looking over Konori's unoccupied desk.

"She looks sad. Has Misaka been like that for long?" Saten asked.

"Oh, yeah. All day," Kuroko replied, not looking up from her tablet.

Soon after, Touma came into the office after completing his remedial classes for the day. When she heard the door open, Mikoto turned in Touma's direction. The two of them looked each other in the eye for a second before Touma averted his gaze and pretended nothing happened. Without a word, he walked past Mikoto and sat at his usual desk on the other side of the room.

"Do you think Kamijou's still mad about what Misaka said the other day?" Saten asked.

"Seems like it," Kuroko answered, "It is a bit odd though. He's never been one to hold a grudge."

"I guess the topic just got a bit too personal," Saten suggested.

"Hey, guys," Uiharu interrupted, "I just got an email from Anti-Skill."

Uiharu read the email out loud for everyone to hear. Apparently, Anti-Skill was going to do a comprehensive sweep of Strange the next day to deal with the Esper Hunts. This information visibly shocked Mikoto, who quickly excused herself from the office. She claimed she had some errands she needed to take care of. Shortly after Mikoto left, Touma got out of his seat and let out a sigh, whispering "Rotten luck" under his breath.

"I'm heading out on patrol," Touma said as he walked out of the office, earning a few strange looks from the girls.

As soon as he stepped outside of the building, Touma scanned the area for Mikoto. When he found her, she was running in the direction of School District 10. Sighing in exasperation, Touma quietly tailed after her. Eventually, he followed her into a slightly degraded building in the middle of Strange. Remaining close by, he went up the stairs of the building before stopping just before the door to the roof. Listening carefully, he could tell that Mikoto was talking to Konori about the comprehensive sweep.

"Let's go, Konori," Mikoto insisted, "This isn't the place for you. You have to know that."

"Yeah, this isn't the place for me anymore," Konori replied, "But do you know who helped me figure it out in the first place? It was Kurozuma."

"Does it have something to do with what happened two years ago?" Touma inquired, coming out from behind the door, "You never did tell me what exactly happened."

"When did you get here?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"I was following you the whole time. Did you honestly think I would buy you having errands to run? That excused was way too well timed," Touma explained, "So, am I right?"

"Honestly, I though you were holding a grudge from what happened yesterday and ignoring me," Mikoto admitted.

"You know me better than that. I was just giving you some space, so you could figure it out yourself. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you've figured it out yet," Touma clarified before turning his attention back to Konori, "So, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty on point," Konori replied, "Two years ago, a rival gang kidnapped Hebitani, the guy currently using Kurozuma's name. It was clearly a trap, but Kurozuma went to rescue him anyway. By the time I arrived on the scene, the building had been blown up. Hebitani obviously got out okay, but all I could find of Kurozuma was his jacket. We all believed he died that day. At that point, I couldn't bare to stay with without Kurozuma there, so I finally left. And here I am, back up on this roof again."

Konori gingerly touched the railing of the roof, something that didn't go unnoticed by Touma. Walking up next to the high school girl, Touma kneeled down to get a closer look at the railing. On the railing, just underneath Konori's hand, was the drawing of an umbrella with the names "Mii" and "Kuro" written underneath it.

'So that's why she's so attached to him,' Touma thought to himself.

"But, you can still leave," Mikoto argued, "You have to think this through, you're a senior Judgement Officer now. That means it isn't right for you to let criminals get away!"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Touma sighed in disappointment.

"Still, she brings up a good point," a new and familiar voice added, "That would be wrong, wouldn't it."

The group quickly turned towards the origin of the new voice. It was Kurozuma.

"So, you came," Konori observed.

"It's really been two years, huh?" the former gang leader mused as he approached the railing, "Hard to believe. After it happened, I woke up in a hospital. From there, I was sent to a treatment facility and I didn't get out of there until about six months ago."

"All this time, and I didn't…" Konori tried to say.

"It's still nice up here, huh?" Kurozuma pointed out, "I thought I'd never get to see this view again. I also thought I would be better if I didn't see you again, either. I know what you'll say."

"What? That it's stupid for you to go in on your own? Like you did last time?" Konori offered, clinching her fists.

"I'm the one that first created Big Spider," Kurozuma replied, "I should be the one to take it down, not Anti-Skill."

"No! Don't go!" Konori begged, grabbing Kurozuma's left arm, "You still haven't changed at all! You always put others before yourself no matter what the cost might be to you! I couldn't stop you last time, but now…"

"You're the same way, aren't you?" Kurozuma noted, "That's way you're standing here right now. Well, you should really get going. Go on, these two are waiting patiently for you."

Kurozoma removed his arm form Konori's grip gently before taking his leave.

"So long," he said, "You should try to cherish the place where you belong now."

"I'm coming with you," Konori insisted, stopping Kurozuma in his tracks, "I… I can't go through that again."

"Enough already Mii, just let it go," Kurozuma argued, "It not like it was last time, okay? For either of use."

"What used to be has nothing to do with it!" Konori yelled back, "The place that I belong may have changed, but the way I feel hasn't!"

Kurozuma simply remained silent before continuing to walk away, ignoring everyone else as he went through the roof door and down the stairs. However, Touma wasn't having any of it. After everything he had learned that day about Konori and Kurozuma's past, he wasn't going to leave it at that. Something about the guy bothered Touma ever since they first met, so Touma decided it was about time he let Kurozuma know.

Ignoring Mikoto demands for answers regarding what he was doing, Touma ran through the roof door and down the stairs of the building as fast as he could. Once outside, he scanned the street to find Kurozuma walking down an alley just across from the building they were just in.

"Hey, spider guy!" Touma yelled as he caught up with Kurozuma, "What's the big idea just up and leaving like that?"

"What's the problem?" Kurozuma asked, clearly confused as to why Touma was mad.

"The chief clearly cares deeply about you, so why would you move her aside like that?" Touma demanded, "Is this something you just go around making a habit of? Helping girls in times of need, causing them to fall in love with you, then pushing them aside so they don't get involved when you go off to do something else that's stupidly dangerous. Don't you ever consider how the chief feels about you leaving her out of the loop like that? She thought she lost you in that accident and you never bothered to contact her to let you know you were alright! Then, you go and tell her to stay out of it when all she wants to do is help you and make sure you don't die on her again! She says you always put others before yourself, but how can you do that when you putting your own life at risk for others causes pain to those that care about you? How insensitive can you be?!"

Kurozuma didn't respond, at least, not immediately. Instead, he carefully examined Touma, appearing to be contemplating deeply on something, something that the unlucky Kamijou took note of.

"What?" Touma asked, curious as to what Kurozuma was thinking about.

"You're that Judgement Officer from the rumors, aren't you?" Kurozuma guessed.

"What are you talking about?"

"There have been rumors of a certain strange addition to the ranks of Judgement," Kurozuma explained, "This new Judgement Officer joined in a rather unconventional manner, going through his PE teacher that happened to be a Skill-Out officer and was trained through field work. Supposedly, he has spiky black hair, a mean right hook, and a knack for giving speeches about how and why the criminals he apprehends are lowlifes. Based on what I've seen so far, you seemed to fit the bill."

"So what if I am this strange addition to Judgement?" Touma asked.

"The rumor goes on to say that this Judgement Officer does a lot of the same stuff while off duty as he would while on duty, even going as far as to say he was doing that kind of stuff before he joined Judgement. Apparently, he went above and beyond to help others, always putting others before himself, never asked for thanks of any kind and always walked away from the people he's helped, never to be heard from again. They even say that he's gained the attention of every girl he has meet and those he ended up forming more lasting relationships with worry about him to no end, desperately wishing he would let them help him."

"What's your point?"

"If you really are the certain strange addition to Judgement, then you and I are the same," Kurozuma concluded, "If I'm wrong for acting this way, where does that leave you? What are you then?"

This statement left Touma rather shocked. When he really thought about it, Kurozuma was right. The two of them really were the same in many ways. Aside from this claim that he was some sort of chick magnet, everything that Kurozuma had just described Touma as was true. To make matters more confusing, all of these things were things Touma described Kurozuma with and called him insensitive for it.

Where does that leave him? More than ever before, Touma was questioning who exactly he was. At many different points in time after waking up in the hospital, he had considered several possible identities that he could have associated with. Student, hero, faker, and now hypocrite. At this point, he was completely lost. Touma didn't even know who he considered himself to be anymore.

"You might want to take the same advice I gave Mii," Kurozuma said, "Make sure you really are where you belong. If you can be yourself in that place, then you're good to go. Once you can act how you truly believe you should, then you've found your place in the world."

Without another word, Kurozuma left Touma alone in the alley, only leaving the fellow Level 0 his advice. Soon afterwards, Mikoto arrived to find Touma just standing there, staring into space.

"Hey, are you alright?" Mikoto asked in concern.

"Yeah, peachy," Touma replied halfheartedly as he turned around and walked out on to the street, "Come on, let's go home."

The two students walked silently for the majority of the trip back to District 7. It was getting late and both of them were rather tired after everything that had happened that day. Eventually, they reached the Tokiwodai Dorm building where Touma intended to leave Mikoto. However, she stopped him before he had a chance to leave.

"Hey," Mikoto said, "I think I finally get what you were trying to say earlier. Seeing Konori and Kurozuma today helped me figure it out."

"And that would be?" Touma inquired.

"Even if you change, those feelings that connect you to other people stay the same," Mikoto replied, "It was the same with you, wasn't it? You lost all your memories, but you still felt some sort of familiarity with everyone when you met us that day. People can change, but their pasts will always be a part of them, even if they put the past behind them."

For the first time all day, Touma was able to smile. Despite all of his misfortune and his identity issues, something good came out of all of it. In addition, Mikoto had given him a better answer than he had expected; one that he found helpful in dealing with his new identity issues. Still smiling, Touma placed his right hand on top of Mikoto's head, giving her a gentle pat.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that," Touma admitted, "More than you know."

"Whatever," Mikoto said, batting away Touma's hand from her head, "Besides, I really should be thanking you. I think I know how we can help Konori. We just need Kuroko's help to pull it off."

"Is that so? What did you have in mind?" Touma asked, his chin in his hand.

"I'll email you the details later," Mikoto replied, "I need to get Kuroko to agree first."

"Fair enough," Touma agreed, "Now, get in there before your Dorm Manager tries to kill you for being late,"

"Don't remind me," Mikoto laughed as she ran inside, leaving Touma to make his way home.

* * *

The next day, Konori was walking through an alley on her way towards Strange. She wore her usual school uniform with the addition of her old, red leather jacket. The jacket was a bit tight on her considering she hadn't worn it in two years, but it fit regardless.

As she made her way down the alley, she was surprised to see Kuroko and Mikoto teleport in front of her, cutting off her path. In addition, Touma came around the corner behind her, boxing her in between the three of them.

"You three? What are you doing here?" Konori asked in confusion.

The only response she received was Mikoto teleporting directly behind her. Against her will, Konori found herself wearing her Judgement armband. A simple look from Kuroko was evidence enough that she had broken into Konori's dorm with her ability and retrieved it for them.

"You know Konori, I think that look suits you," Mikoto admitted.

Konori looked down at her armband and couldn't help but smile. It was true, the look did suit her best. Her past and present true mingled together with both the armband and the jacket. The contrast in colors, green on red, only added to the display of her contrasting homes in Big Spider and Judgement. She gave each of the other students a look of approval and lead them towards the location of Big Spider.

By the time they arrived, the doors to the building had already been kicked in and the sounds of falling Big Spider members could be heard inside. Knowing it was time to join the fray, Konori was the first to step into the building.

"Hold it!" Konori yelled, making her presence known.

"Mii?" Kurozuma asked in surprise as he turned around to look at her.

He noticed her outfit and couldn't help but smile.

"You're looking good today," Kurozuma complimented, causing Konori to blush.

"Is that you, Konori?" the fake Kurozuma asked in shock."

"Hebitani," Konori greeted in a half-joking manner, "You've become quite the scumbag since the last time I saw you, haven't you? Relying on you minions and weapons to win you battles for you."

"Please, you dumb brat!" Hebitani yelled, "You don't know anything! You turned your back on us and joined with Judgement! Go on, show these two just how much we're capable of!"

Several of the gang members drew their handguns and took aim. However, their pistols were rendered useless when still pins teleported into them, piercing the barrels. Kuroko promptly teleported into the room with Mikoto in tow, much to the shock of Big Spider.

"Hello there. I'd be happy to stick these into your bodies if that would be quick," Kuroko greeted in a innocent manner, presenting the pins she used to pierce the guns.

"Esper!" Hebitani yelled, before brushing off the potential threat, "No matter. We still have our ways of dealing with you!"

"Oh yeah?" Mikoto asked as she flipped an arcade coin into the air.

She then promptly fired her railgun through the wall of the building, striking the car on the other side that held the Capacity Down System, a device that disrupts Esper abilities by impairing the brain with a high pitch sound.

"You mean that thing?" Mikoto asked, "You didn't think we'd fall for the exact same trap twice, did you? You must be stupider than you look."

Growing desperate at the lose of his greatest weapon, Hebitani demanded that Big Spider kill the two middle school girls. However, the gang was too terrified by Mikoto's power to fight willingly, at least without their Anti-Esper weapon. It got to the point where Hebitani had to threaten his own men at gunpoint to get them to fight.

"Man, you really are the lowest kind of thug there is, aren't you?" Touma asked as stepped through the hole in the wall.

"Who the hell do you think you are, waltzing in here like that?" Hebitani demanded upon seeing this strange addition.

"No one special," Touma replied with a shrug, "I just a guy that can't stand seeing someone else hurt others for no good reason. What's hunting Espers going to prove? That you're strong without abilities? That with a couple of handguns, backup, and a glorified noise maker you can take on any Esper in the city? Let me tell you something, that's just common sense! It doesn't prove anything about your strength as people, just that your too afraid to go in on your own! You think that by ganging up on individuals, the city will respect you more, but it's only making the city despise you even more and want to get rid of you! People like you have created a negative image for Level 0s all over the city, so I swear, I'll shatter that illusion you and other people like you have created!"

Something about Touma and his response felt off to Hebitani. This boy in front of him was a Judgement Officer, as evidenced by his armband, but he had a unique look to him. He looked average by every standard save for his hair, which was stylized into spikes like some sort of manga or anime character. Not only that, but he just spent a good minute or two just to give a speech about how he despises people like him. Hebitani knew he, at some point, heard something about a boy with spiky hair and a knack for speeches, but he couldn't put his figure on what exactly it was.

"I want you to stay out of this," Konori requested of her friends, "Please respect your elders for once, okay?"

Kurozuma looked back at Konori in approval before charging into the mass of Big Spider members. As soon as he got close, he let hell loose on the gang he created that had fallen from grace. He unleashed a smooth stream of punches, kicks, and elbows on the various gang members, taking out most of them in a single hit.

At one point, one of the gang members reached into his hoodie, as if to grab something. Using her Clairvoyance, Konori saw that that gang member had a gun in his hand and a stun-gun in his hoodie. Acting quickly, Konori grabbed the thug's arm, wrestling the gun out of his hand before he could fire. She then reached into the thug's hoodie and took his stun-gun, shocking him with his own weapon.

"So that's your ability, is it?" Kurozuma mused, "Feels good to use it, huh?"

"Sure does," Konori replied with a blush.

However, because she was talking to Kurozuma, Konori failed to notice the thug running up from behind her with a fist chambered. Kurozuma tried to warn her, but the thug was already right on top of her. However, the thug never landed a hit as something else hit him first. Acting on impulse, Touma rushed into the fight and jumped at the thug with his own right fist chambered. Once he was close enough, he let loose his signature right hook, punching the thug square in the face. The thug was launched by the punch several meters away, knocking into another gang member and incapacitating both.

"Kamijou!" Konori yelled in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"Last I checked, I'm the same age as you," Touma reminded her, "So, I figured the 'respect you elders' part didn't apply. I hope you don't mind if I pitch in a little here."

"Guess the two of use have more in common than I originally thought," Kurozuma laughed.

"Wait a minute, that hair, that knack for speeches, that right hook…" on of the thugs said in a faint voice.

"It couldn't be…"

"He's the certain strange addition to Judgement!"

"Are you all idiot?!" Hebitani yelled despite being a little scared himself, "That's just a rumor! One more kid isn't going to change anything! Just get him!"

Hesitantly, several members of Big Spider charged at Touma, but they were ill-prepared for what Touma was capable of. The first member attempted to punch Touma in the face, but Touma simply grabbed the arm with his left hand and turned his body so he could grab his opponent's lower back and threw the gang member about his own waist, flipping him over and slamming him into the ground. Touma then quickly turned around, stunning the next gang member with a left backhand before getting behind the gang member and crossing his right arm over his opponent neck. Touma then locked the thug into a chokehold, locking the hold by clasping his hands and trapping the thug with his head.

Normally, it took four to five seconds for someone to pass out from a chokehold such as this, but the next opponent was coming too quickly. Instead, Touma used his chokehold victim as a human shield to defend against a punch from the next opponent. That punched knocked out the chokehold victim for him, so Touma kicked the now knocked out gang member and the thug that just tried to punch him. The knocked-out thug distracted the new one, allowing Touma an opening to land a right hook to the thug's face, knocking him out as well.

"I have to say, you're pretty good in a fight," Kurozuma complimented as he stood back-to-back with Touma, "What was your name again?"

"Touma Kamijou."

"Nice to meet you, Kamijou, but save some of these guys for the rest of us!" Kurozuma requested.

"With pleasure, Kurozuma!" Touma replied as the two of them charged head first into the fight.

Within a few minutes, all of the members of Big Spider had been taken down. The only exception was Hebitani, who was left to face Kurozuma one-on-one.

"So, what will it be?" Kurozuma asked.

"You really think you've beaten us, don't you?" Hebitani laughed, "You're wrong! Take a look at this!"

He opened up his jacket, revealing a belt of dynamite strapped to his waist. Needless to say, everyone was shocked to see such extremes. That is, everyone that was not a member of Big Spider at one point.

"Go ahead, I dare you!" Hebitani yelled as he took out a lighter, "I'll blow us all sky high! Well, what's the matter? Are you scared now?"

"What a pain," Kurozuma sighed as he took off his jacket, revealing his giant spider tattoo.

"Stay back! I'll blow us up!" Hebitani threatened.

"Ah, Hebitani, we used to have such good times together, didn't we?" Kurozuma asked as he approached.

"Stay back, not one step more!"

"We all used to hang out, just because it was fun. What happened to that?"

"Stay there, stop!"

Before he knew what hit him, Hebitani was punched in the gut by Kurozuma, causing the dynamite belt to fall apart.

"What happened to you?" Kurozuma asked, "What changed?"

"I didn't have a choice," Hebitani explained, "What else could I have done? This is the only place where we belong. I had to find a way to keep Big Spider together, and that could only happen if I became Kurozuma. And that's why I have no choice but to get rid of you once and for all!"

In a flash, Hebitani pulled a knife from his jacket and jumped at Kurozuma. However, Kurozuma barely dodged the attack, only suffering a slash on his cheek. At the same time, Kurozuma delivered a punch to Hebitani's face that left him with his head resting on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"Hebitani, this isn't where you belong," Kurozuma declaired, "Your place is where yourself. Haven't you realized that yet?"

* * *

Eventually, Anti-Skill arrived and rounded up all of the Big Spider members that the students had apprehended. With Big Spider taken down, that left only one thing for Kurozuma to do. He held out his wrists and asked her to arrest him. Although hesitant at first, Konori obliged and arrested him in the most professional manner possible.

"That looks good on you," Kurozuma complimented, "I have to say, it does look a little tight in the bust area, if you know what I mean. It's no wonder you attracted the certain strange addition into being your boyfriend."

"Oh, it's not like that at all!" Konori quickly denied, "And anyway, it's only because I drink it every day."

The two former members of Big Spider shared a look before coming to the same thought.

"When it comes to milk, it's got to be Musashino!" they cheered, before bursting into laughter.

"There he goes, talking about breasts, just like before," Kuroko mused, staring at her own chest.

"And somehow, it's still not offensive," Mikoto added.

"Of all the things that could have been different between us, why did that have to be one of them?" Touma lamented as he and the girls looked on from the sidelines.

* * *

Later that day, Touma, Mikoto, and Kuroko stood on the rooftop of the building that Konori and Kurozuma often met on. They were simply leaning over the railing, enjoying the view of the sunset and the afternoon breezy.

"The breezy up here really does feel incredible," Mikoto sighed.

"I've got that right," Touma agreed, "If it weren't for the location, this would be a great date spot for some lucky couple."

"For once, we agree," Mikoto mused.

"You two sure seemed to be on better terms," Kuroko observed, taking a break from her Musashino milk, "I take it you moved past that grudge from a few days ago?"

"There was no grudge to begin with. I was just giving Zapper here some spaced so she could figure out why the chief was so obsessed with Kurozuma," Touma clarified, "Although, I would be lying if I said this case didn't bother me a bit when it came to my memory."

"Why's that?" Mikoto asked.

"Because of my memory loss, I don't know about my past," Touma explained, "I wasn't sure of where I came from so I wasn't entirely sure of who I was. Was I a regular high school student, that happened to be in Judgement? Was I some sort of hero? Was I a faker living the life of someone who had already died? I didn't know. But, Misaka's answered helped me figure it out. I'm all those things. I'm a regular high school student that likes to pretend to be a hero just because I can't stand seeing people in distress. My memories are gone, but the feelings that connect me to the people I have met still exist. Simply put, I'm Touma Kamijou, and that's all that really matters. I'll move forward with this identity because it's was my identity before and after my accident."

Touma got off of the railing and bowed slightly to Mikoto, giving her a warm smile.

"So, for that, I must thank you, Misaka."

"H-hey! What's with the bowing?" Mikoto asked, flustered.

"What? I'm just trying to show so gratitude. You don't need to be so embarrassed about it," Touma countered.

"W-well, fine," Mikoto agreed with a stutter, "b-but remember, you owe me now, so I expect you to treat me to something.

"Sissy, doesn't that seem a bit much?" Kuroko asked.

"No, it's fine," Touma insisted, although his smile was a little more awkward, "Just name the date."

"Sure," Mikoto replied with a smile, having been able to regain her composure, "I'll be counting on you."

* * *

 **Finally done! Guess I did a bit more writing in this one. It came out longer than most of the previous chapters. I'm starting to think that** **Kazuma Kamachi is a fan of George Lucas, because rewatching these episodes, there are a lot of plot parallels through out the story that are just begging me to point out in this story as plot devices.**

 **I decided to delve deeper into the identity issues that Touma could have faced as a result of his memory lose, something a feel wasn't used to it's full potential early on in the franchise.**

 **Next chapter will start covering the Deep Blood Arc. Hopefully, I can give Himegami a bit more relevance in the future. I hope you were all paying attention this chapter, because remember, no detail is an unimportant detail.**

 **See you all next time and happy holidays!**

 **Money gotten should be immediately spent! (I'm running out of funny Taiga quotes.)**


	15. Hunting for the Vampire Hunter

**New Chapter! And with this new chapter is a new arc! Here we are, the Deep Blood Arc! The are that everyone would have forgot in not for a single scene that forever changed what we all thought about Imagine Breaker. Now, before I get started with the Q &A, I have some bad news. With my current skills as a writer, I am incapable of writing any way for Himegami to be more relivent. Try as I might, there is just so little to work with that it is impossible for me to give her relevance. She really is the ultimate background character. Wait, who was a talking about?**

 **Anyway, Q &A time:**

 **Bluejack222: Fair point. However, I counter with the fact that Index gets kidnapped because Touma is not in the immediate vicinity and those that are witnesses are usually powerless to do anything, such as Maika. So really, the only thing that changes are location. Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Don't worry, all of the girls will be given a moment to shine so long as they are fit to be part of a harm. I'm not some heartless bastard that leads people along only to crush their expectations. Well, at least not intentionally. Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **MrQuestionMark: After rewatching the anime for research, I couldn't help but draw the parallels. It started with Kurozuma's description after he saved Kongou as a one-off joke, but it just got deeper. Heck, Kurozuma's relationship with Konori is very similar to Touma's relationship with Mikoto, with the girl being saved by the boy and wanting to help to return the favor and not lose the boy to his crazy antics. I am seriously convinced that Kazuma Kamachi made these parallels on purpose because they are all over the place in just the events covered in the anime alone. The parallels thing also applies to why I had the Fate reference, since Touma and Shirou follow similar if not the same ideals, with Touma being those ideals fulfilled. As for the title drops, I took a note from your book, so to speak, in that. The title was supposed to just refer to the addition of Touma in Railgun plots and vice versa, but it quickly evolved into more. I think you'll like the next couple of twists I make.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Glad you liked the chapter and the changes to the original plot.**

 **mohamadstar94: Looks like you missed the end note. This chapter is for the Deep Blood Arc. I can confirm however that the Railgun filler Tsuzuri's Summer Vacation will be adapted into a date chapter immediately following the Deep Blood Arc.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot : Oh, you were serious about that? Huh? Yeah, I guess I can make Aogami's ability a Kami Disease Detector. Although, it might just be a sort of sixth sense rather than an Esper ability.**

 **RedSS: Yup, that was the idea. I really wanted my story to be more character driven, and this seemed like the best way to go about it. I admit defeat, it is impossible to give Himegami more** **relevance** **.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yup, I just pulled a Digimon Fusion on you. It was either that or I have my ships transform into robots and combine larger, spaceship counterparts until they were larger than they observable universe. Pick your poison. I really wanted my story to dive deeper into the characters and explore what makes them tick and their reactions to the other half of the world they are a part of. Touma's identity crisis with his missing memories was just the most underutilized part of the original canon in that regard. Glad you liked the chapter and the changes.**

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku: I always thought the lack of focus on Touma's memory lose, you know, the event that pretty much made his character a wild card in his own world, was something that could be improved upon and I took this as the** **opportunity** **to do so.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: That was the plan from the get-go, my good sir. I'm sure you'll enjoy it when the time comes.**

 **Guest (1): Sorry to keep you waiting! The interactions between Touma and Kurozuma were some of my favorite parts to watch. They were equal parts humorous and deep, allowing for meaningful moments that could also rouse a laugh. Glad you know you think my writing is improving.**

 **Guest (2): Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the tip, now if only I can figure out the timeline that extends beyond Index II.**

 **a certain guest (Guest): First, it's Yuri, not Yuriko. Accelerator is still a boy. Second, heavy emotional conflict between the isn't planned until after the fighting is done. Accelerator doesn't remember his own name and I** **interpreted** **the scene from Railgun that sparked my "Touma and Accelerator were friends" theory as Accelerator remembering having a friend, but unable to remember the face or name, only the spiky, black hair. However, Mikoto has seen a picture of Yuri, so she might have some additional conflict in regards to Touma having to fight his old friend that he can no longer remember that has turned into a psychopath.**

 **Well, that's it for the Q &A. Now lets get the disclaimer out of the way so we can get this story on the road!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Hunting for the Vampire Hunter

Stiyl Magnus walked through the dark, central room of the Windowless Building in the center of Acadmey City. The only sources of light in the room were the faint, yellow glow of the circuits on ground and the tube they fed into. Inside said tube was something that could only be described as a human, but an odd one at that. The person floated inside the tube, upside down and wore a hospital gown. He or she, on one could really be sure, had both male and female features, having waist length hair, a petit yet masculine build, and a face that would fit on either a man or a woman.

"Stiyal Magnus," the person greeted, "You are no different from the others. Every person that comes here has the same reaction to my rather unusual appearance. But it makes sense to me. If machines can sustain my life, why make my body do it?"

"Yes, director general Aleister," Stiyl replied.

"I believe you are already aware of the reason you have been called back here from England," the person identified as Alester deduced, "A situation as developed."

"If you mean 'Deep Blood', I know," Stiyl confirmed.

"We have indeed located a young girl with the ability to kill a certain creature," the director general of Academy City continued, "a creature that we aren't even sure actually exists. Here is were it gets unusually complicated. Sorcerers aren't usually allowed in the city, and yet one has involved himself in this."

"In Academy City?" Stiyl asked in confusion.

"Crushing a sorcerer is no problem. If pressed, we could handle it," Aleister clarified, "But of course, I would prefer to avoid such a conflict. Pitting members of the scientific and magic communities against each other is a dangerous game, as you know."

This was a fact Stiyl knew all too well. The two sides currently had an uneasy truce in place and that could easily crumble if a representative actively attacked the opposing side. Should one side have a clear win over the other, the whole world would be thrown off balance into chaos as the two sides fall into conflict and drag the rest of the world into it. It would not end well for anyone.

"But you believe that the problem can be solved by sending a fellow member of the magical community to deal with this sorcerer," Stiyl deduced.

"That is my plan," Aleister confirmed, "Additionally, I have at my disposal one of the natural enemies of sorcery."

"Do you mean Imagine Breaker?" the fire mage asked in confusion, "But sir, I thought the idea was to avoid using Espers at all."

"It won't be an issue," the person in the tube reassured, "He's a Level 0 with no abilities to speak of. He has no excess to privileged information, so using him will not risk a security breach, yet he will be helpful in dealing with out sorcery friends."

"Basically, you brought me back here to team up with the boy," Stiyl concluded.

"He does not have the brains to understand your magic, nor does he have the power to recreate it," Aleister continued, "You won't have to worry about your magical secrets being revealed."

"There are still a few things that bother me," Stiyl admitted.

"And what might they be?"

"First, there is the obvious requirement of needing to work with that boy, but seeing as there is no other option, I will bear with it," Stiyl listed, "The second issues has more to do with the people the boy associates with. One of them is a Level 5 Esper and two of the others are members of Judgement alongside the boy. They would surely wish to get involved if they were to learn about this operation, which can only spell trouble. Not only that, but based on our research from our last visit, one of the Judgement girls is regarded as one of, if not the, best hacker in Academy City. Surely, if anyone could hack into your files on the science/magic conflict, she could."

"Rest assured, everything will be taken care of," Aleister replied with a smile, "No matter how impressive of a hacker this girl may be, my defenses are surely more than she can handle. As for your other concerns, these girls may even be of additional help, so long as that help is not combat based."

"What do you mean?" Stiyl asked skeptically.

"This is an infiltration mission," Aleister smirked, "You are from the west. Surely you have seen a spy thriller before."

* * *

Following the end of the Big Spider case, Konori had given Touma, Kuroko and Uiharu a few days off as thanks for their help, especially considering how personal the case was to her. The girls were currently wandering throughout the city, trying to think of something to do. Index had decided to hang out with Touma, who had been busy that day buying a couple of extra school supplies. As a result, Touma and Index were absent for the time being, leaving the girls to try to figure out something to do on their own.

Unfortunately, which was strange since Touma wasn't around to affect them with his misfortune, the girls couldn't think of anything to do, so they just kept wandering the city, trying to think of something. They considered a movie, the mall, and even the pool, but nothing seemed overly interesting that day. Heck, even Judgement work seemed more appealing at that moment. Not only that, but the girls had a strange sense of deja vu, like they had the exact same conversation just a couple of weeks ago.

"Have you guys thought of anything yet?" Mikoto asked, her head slumped over as she walked.

"No, nothing," Kuroko whimpered.

"I am seriously bored," Saten whined, "Not even flipping Uiharu's skirt seems appealing right now."

"For once, we agree on that topic," Uiharu moaned.

"If Kamijou were here, I'm sure it would be at least twice as enjoyable to do," Saten added, "His reactions are just as hilarious, if not more so."

"And you wonder why he gave us all those nicknames," Uiharu said, sheading a few tears.

"Wait, isn't that that idiot right there?" Mikoto asked, pointing just ahead of them as she looked up.

True to her words, Touma could be seen with Index, hutched over what appeared to be a cardboard box on the side of the road. The sight of their friends instantly put a spring in the girls' steps. Touma always had a way making things interesting, for better or for worse. If they joined up with him and Index, maybe something might happen that could keep them occupied.

"Kamijou, Index, hey!" Saten called out as the girls ran towards their friends.

"Oh! Hey girls," Touma greeted with a small wave.

"What are you looking at there?" Uiharu asked in curiosity.

"Just an abandoned cat Index wanted to take home," Touma replied, "Naturally, I told her she couldn't keep it."

"Why not, Touma?" Index begged. "Sphinx needs a new home. Why can't we keep him?"

"Don't just go naming him right off the bat!" Touma responded, "Once you name it, you start getting attached to it! Besides, you can barely take care of yourself! I don't want to have to deal with trying to support you and a cat!"

"But look at him! He's in so much pain!" Index pointed out.

True to her words, the cat that Index had prematurely named Sphinx was rolling around in his box, clearly in pain. He pawed at his head as if trying to ease a headache and whimpered in pain.

"Actually, I think that might be me," Mikoto admitted, "My Esper ability causes me to constantly emit a weak electromagnetic field, and lots of animals don't like it.

"See? All the more reason you can't keep him," Touma pointed out, "Zapper constantly visits you to help keep an eye on you. We can't let this cat suffer just because you want to keep him. At least give him a home where he won't constantly be bombarded with electric pulses every time someone in specific visits."

Of course, Index didn't take the news to kindly and started to throw a temper tantrum. All the girls could do was watch awkwardly as Touma remained perfectly calm and stood his ground regarding the cat. Even if it was awkward, it was still more entertaining than walking aimlessly through the streets.

Eventually, the cat couldn't take it anymore. The electromagnetic waves were bad enough, but not there was a loud, shrill, pounding sound in his head. Having reached his limit, the poor cat jumped out of it's cardboard box and ran off, leaving the group a bit stunned.

"You see? You scared him and now he's run off," Touma noted.

"It you and Mikoto's fault!" Index claimed as she stomped off in the direction the cat had run off to.

"How is it our fault?" Mikoto asked, confused.

"You two are the oldest ones here," Saten pointed out.

"Not helping, Saten," Kuroko reprimanded.

"First, you admitted yourself that your Esper ability was hurting him," Index explained, "In addition, I heard there is a Japanese instrument that is partially made out of cat skins. How can Sphinx not be scared when stuff like that's going on?"

"Well, if you want to go there, don't the English chase foxes?" Touma countered.

"Fox hunting is a noble sport dating ba-," Index began to say, but stopped when she felt something off, "What's that? I can feel magic flows coming together nearby."

"Huh?" everyone else asked, completely lost.

"Its color is green; its attribute is earth. Is it a runic formula?" Index pondered as she ran off.

"Index, where are you running off to?" Saten yelled.

"It feels like someone is setting up a magic circle," Index explained as she ran, "I'll see you at Ruiko's dorm latter."

"Honestly, that girl," Mikoto huffed.

"I know, she like the little sister I never asked for," Touma agreed, scratching his head.

"I don't know," Saten mused, "Sometimes, you two act more like her parents than her older siblings."

"Don't start with that again!" Mikoto yelled in embarrassment, "Come on, idiot! Help me out here!"

However, Touma didn't appeared to be paying attention at all. His bored expression had been replaced with a very serious one. His eyes darted around the street, as if searching for something.

"Is something wrong?" Kuroko asked in concern.

"Don't you girls feel that?" Touma replied, "I'm not entirely sure, but something doesn't feel right."

"Now that you mention it, the street does feel abnormally empty," Uiharu agreed.

"You should know what's happening," a voice that only the girls could recognize said, "The runes are designed to keep people away."

The group turned towards the owner of the voice standing behind them. Needless to say, everyone was shocked to see this person in particular, for one reason or another.

"Long time no see, Touma Kamijou," Stiyl Magus greeted.

The group was stunned to see the sorcerer before them, especially Touma. Naturally, Touma had no memories of the man in front of him and was unable to immediately react. It especially didn't help that Stiyl had used Touma's name, as if expecting him to have vivid memories of him. Sure, the girls had helped him with a few of the events that he had not written in his journal, but there was only so much they could provide since they didn't interact with the sorcerers directly, at least according to their accounts. Any information they could provide was originally supplied to them by Touma before his accident, so there were many gaps in the information they could provide.

"What, I don't even get a 'hello'?" Stiyl asked mockingly.

"As if you would get one after the hell you put this idiot through, Stiyl Magnus!" Mikoto yelled, venom clear in her voice.

"Good," Stiyl replied, "I didn't want you all to think I was you friend or anything."

"Where's Index?" Kuroko demanded, holding out several pins as a threat.

"There's no need to worry about her. She just went off to investigate a magical force she discovered, right?" Stiyl deduced, "Besides I have not come to fight you Espers."

Stiyl pulled out a rune card from his robes.

"However, that doesn't mean I'm above attacking the boy!"

Stiyl threw the rune card at Touma, which proceeded to burst into a torrent of flames. Reacting quickly, Touma jumped in front of the girls and stretched out his right hand, the hand that held Imagine Breaker. The flames collided with Imagine Breaker and stopped in their tracks. The sound of Imagine Breaker rang out, the shattering of glass, and the flames disappeared. Despite the attack being negated, Touma could help but feel a bit out of breath, his face expressing the need for him to stay on guard.

"That's the expression I'm looking for. That's much more appropriate for our relationship," Styl mused as he reached inside his robes, "so don't got thinking that that's ever going to change."

"I swear, you better not be reaching for another one of those spell cards of your," Mikoto threatened, her bangs beginning to spark.

"Relax, it's not a trap or anything," Stiyl explained, revealing a file envelope, "It's what I wanted to discuss with you."

Stiyl raised the file over his head. Once high enough, several pages flew out of it and began circling the envelope for all to see.

"Have you heard of Misawa Prep School? It's here in Academy City," Stiyl asked.

"Yeah, we've heard of it. It's here in District 7 and under the 177th Judgement Branch's jurisdiction," Uiharu confirmed.

"Okay then. There is a girl being held captive there," Stiyl explained, "Apparently, the school has had some changes. It has become the base of a pseudo religion that centers around the worship of science. We don't know all the details. What we do know for sure is that the school has been taken over. They are now led by a bonified sorcerer. To be more precise, an alchemist of the Zurich school of alchemy."

"He's the real deal?" Touma asked.

"I know, sounded pretty far fetched to me at first too," Stiyl replied before realizing something, "Wait a sec, your accepting this too easily."

"You really aren't that close to this idiot, are you?" Mikoto cut in, attempting hide Touma's amnesia.

"Yeah, everyone knows the unlikely always happens around this guy," Saten agreed, "I you want to see some sort of miracle, just hang with Kamijou for a day."

"This kind of stuff is just the norm for him, sad as it is to say," Kuroko added.

"Still, it keeps things interesting at least," Uiharu supplied.

"Yeah, I've just come to accept this kind of thing happening to me," Touma played along, "I don't see any problem in me just agreeing with you. Do you? Or do you just need something to complain about?"

"I guess this going more smoothly is acceptable," Stiyl admitted.

Stiyl went on to explain that the alchemist in question was known as Aureolus Izzard. He had apparently disappeared about three years ago and had been in hiding ever since. Izzard came out of hiding recently to go after the girl Stiyl had mention earlier, the girl with the power known as Deep Blood. Stiyl went on to explain that Deep Blood was the ability to kill vampires, something that shocked the group on more than one level. Not only was the group surprised by the existence of a power to kill vampires, but they were surprised by the implications that vampires existed. Of course, the idea that vampires existed was made even more confusing by the fact that even sorcerers could not confirm that vampires truly existed.

The interesting part was when Stiyl revealed his intentions to infiltrate Misawa Prep School in order to retrieve Deep Blood and put a stop to whatever plans Izzard had regarding power. However, one thing didn't make sense to the group.

"Why are you telling us all of this?" Kuroko asked suspiciously.

"Simply put, I will be requiring his assistance in this operation," Stiyl answered plainly, pointing at Touma.

"What? You can expect me to just go along with this!" Touma argued.

"Actually, I do. For now, Neccessarious is content with leaving Index in your care and using all of you as a chain to control her," Stiyl explained, "Should you refuse, that can easily change, and Index will be forced to leave your care and return to Neccessarious. Surely, you wouldn't want that."

"Even so, you can't expect us to just let this idiot go in alone with only you as support," Mikoto countered, "If he's going in, them I'm coming too!"

"Same here!" Kuroko agreed.

"Zapper, Pigtails!" Touma whispered, trying to get them to keep quiet.

"As much as I would like to have the extra fire power, I cannot allow you two to come along," Stiyl said, "You don't know this, but there a very unstable balance of power between magic and science. To have an agent of science like an Esper defeat a sorcerer in combat or vice versa would result in a lose in that balance, dragging the world into a conflict it simply will not survive."

"So, what? We just have to trust that you won't go and betray Kamijou while you two infiltrate a prep school, unobserved?" Saten demanded.

"I said you couldn't face a sorcerer in combat. I never said you couldn't provide help," Stiyl clarified.

"So, what do you propose?" Touma asked.

"Word on the street says the girl with the flower headband is a computer whiz," Stiyl explained, "If you really want to help, you can set up a couple of wiretaps to stay in contact and guide us through the school. In fact, I would recommend it; it will make the job go much more smoothly. Of course, you will need to provide the equipment."

"And you expect us to just go along with that?" Touma questioned.

"Do what you want," Stiyl replied as the files returned to the envelop and he walked away, "The choice is yours.

As soon as Stiyl was out of sight, the streets filled with the sounds of city traffic once again. The girls plus Touma all looked at each other with questioning eyes, as if silently discussing what to do. However, those few looks between the friends were enough for them to come to a decision. After all, it was the obvious choice, especially when Touma was being involved.

Later that day, the group rejoined Index and took her home to Saten's dorm. Once they arrived, they discovered that Index had snuck the abandoned cat she named Sphinx in with her under her habit. It was quite obvious what was happening from the get-go, all things considered. No fourteen-year-old girl has a bloated stomach one second and a large bust the next. The bloated stomach was especially unlikely in Index's case since her stomach was basically a black hole. It also didn't help that Sphinx was quite the active kitten, meowing and revealing his hiding spot nearly immediately after coming into the dorm.

While Touma was furious at first, the sound of tears from Index was enough to get him to calm down. After some convincing from the girls that it wouldn't be a problem to let Index keep Sphinx, he conceded and let Index raise the kitten as her own. As much as he hated having Mikoto pay for both Index and Sphinx's expenses, Touma knew there was no wining an argument with these girls. He was just glad Mikoto had so many research funds handy.

Touma, Mikoto, Kuroko, and Uiharu then left the dorm, claiming to need to pick up a couple of computer parts and equipment for Judgement work, something that wasn't entirely a lie. As the group left, Saten promised to keep an eye on Index while they ran their errand. Once outside of the dorm room, the group found Stiyl kneeling just outside, sticking rune cards across the walls and floors.

"What are you doing with those?" Touma asked.

"I thought I would leave her with some protection. Innocentius should do it," Stiyl explained, "Not that I don't have faith in your friend, but I'd rather leave behind something a bit stronger. There's not telling what could happen while we're away during this operation. Some other sorcerers might take Index away while we're occupied. She can be a handful."

"Do you have a thing for Index?" Touma asked out of nowhere.

"What?! Of all the stupid things to ask!" Stiyl replied, blushing heavily and dropping the cigarette he was smoking.

"Wow, you do have a thing for her, don't you?" Kuroko mused, recognizing the reaction from when Mikoto interacts intimately with Touma.

"That's honestly kind of creepy," Uiharu shivered, "Considering the age gap between you two."

"It's not like that! First, she's just someone I look out for, that's all. She's my friend, of course I care about her. Not… like that," Stiyl explained, earning a smug look from the girls, "Second, I'll have you know the age gap between us is not that big. I happen to be fourteen years old."

"What?!" the students yelled in surprise.

"But, you smoke! And you're a head taller than Kamijou!" Uiharu reasoned.

"I use magic to make myself look older," Stiyl huffed, "People don't necessarily think you're much of a threat when you look like a little kid. Of course, you girls would probably know."

"What did you say?!" Mikoto roared.

The railgun tried to attack the sorcerer, but was barely held back by Touma.

"Rotten luck," Touma cried as he struggled to get Mikoto under control.

* * *

After quickly swinging by Uiharu's dorm and Seventh Mist, the group had all the supplied they needed to infiltrate the school with some sense of proficiency. They stood in front of Misawa Prep School later that afternoon with Touma equipped with several pieces of surveillance equipment. Wire tapped to his shirt was a miniature microphone and a tracking device. On his left ear was a miniature camera while on his right ear was an earpiece communicator. All of these devices were connected to Uiharu's laptop, which cross-referenced the data from the tracker with a floorplan of the building to keep track of Touma's position in the school. Stiyl opted not to be wire tapped, considering he was never a big fan of technology. The girls decided not to argue with him. After all, the wiretaps were meant to help guide Touma.

The plan was simple. Stiyl and Touma would infiltrate the school itself while Uiharu provided them with guidance throughout the building. Meanwhile, Mikoto and Kuroko would keep watch outside and make sure Uiharu's work wasn't interrupted. The Level 4 and Level 5 would also provide additional assistance in the event that Uiharu couldn't find a solution to a problem herself.

Before going in, Stiyl revealed some more information about the mission that the thought would be important, now that the students were onboard. Apparently, the goal of alchemists was to be able to manipulate reality on a whim with only a thought. Uiharu couldn't help but point out the irony in that goal with the history of alchemy itself. A failed alchemical experiment resulted in the discovering of gunpowder and led to the creation of chemistry, one of the major pillars of scientific research. Scientific research would them move on to develop Esper abilities, which were able to manipulate individual aspects of reality with merely the Espers' thoughts. Needless to say, Stiyl was a bit miffed by that observation.

Continuing with his explanation, Stiyl presented the group with a picture of the girl possessing Deep Blood so they knew when the found her. Upon presenting the photo, Stiyl explained the girl's name was Aisa Himegami. Touma was quite shocked to see the picture, explaining to the girls the he had met her earlier that day after being forced to treat Index, Tsuchimokado, and Aogami to milkshakes and burgers. Obviously, it was going to be an awkward reunion when they found her.

Once Stiyl and Touma had walked into the building, Uiharu was on high alert on her laptop. She kept a sharp eye on the media feeds she was getting from Touma's equipment,

"So, have they run into anything yet?" Mikoto asked, looking over Uiharu's shoulder.

"Don't be silly, Sissy," Kuroko replied, "They just walked in."

" _Actually, I think we did find something_ ," Touma said over his earpiece, " _Looks like a robot of some sort. It appears to be broken._ "

"Doesn't look like any robot I've seen before," Uiharu said as she focused Touma's camera on the pile of metal in front of him.

The apparent robot was humanoid in shape. It was leaning against a support column and leaking some sort of red liquid.

" _What are you talking about?_ " Stiyl asked Touma, his voice audible to Touma's microphone, " _That's no robot. It's a corpse._ "

Upon closer inspection, the girls were quite shocked that the sorcerer had spoken the truth. The supposed robot was actually a dead body. It was clad in a suit of steel armor and the red liquid was the blood of the poor, unlucky soul. One thing was for sure, it was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

 **That's it for the start of the Deep Blood Arc. I must say, I think I did a decent job with this chapter and was able to write around the laws that keep the magic and science sides balanced.**

 **Also, am I the only one that noticed that thing about alchemy in the "A Certain" franchise? I can't be the only one that noticed how its fundamental structure being similar to scientific Esper powers parallels how real-life alchemy gave rise to chemistry, a major pillar of science.**

 **These end notes feel really empty. Maybe I'm add some sort of metafiction to these at some point.**

 **Until next time! Leave a review if you liked!**

 **Don't trust someone over 30! (I found more Taiga quotes! Yay!)**


	16. Meeting at Twilight

**Happy New Year! New year, new start, new chapter for all of you! Hope you all had a great start to the new year. Just wish we could have gone without that Logan Paul incident. At least we also got Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan. Just watching the opening of that makes me hungry. And Saber is so cute eating different types of food in the opening! Also, Index III this year!**

 **Quick note, there is a lot of line breaks and perspective jumps. Italics mean that a voice is being said through the communicator. Anyway, let's not waste too much time and get to the Q &A!**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad you liked the start of the arc. Character accuracy is a must for me when writing. If I even remotely know anything about a character I'm writing about, I want to make I depict them correctly. I needed some way to get them on board, so I thought it was the best course of action.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: That is certainly a very zany sixth sense. Sphinx is a must when Index around, plus I love cute animals. Sorry to leave the Delta Force out. I wanted to trim the fat and not repeat too many of the original jokes.**

 **Kim454: I'll keep that in mind. Of course, if I do pull in magic side information on poltergeists, I'd have to do my research to make sure I'm not writing anything that conflicts with the canon rules of the universe. There is a confirmed Book of the Dead, after all.**

 **RedSS: Yeah, the differences in canon usually come down to character relations and the execution of events. Not much available to work with in earlier parts of the story, but there will be plenty later down the line, specifically by the Sisters Arc.**

 **Awareness Bringer: Thanks for the encouragement.**

 **Guest (1): Anime. As much as I would like to use the source material, it's not exactly easy to come by with my budget. Sorry to disappoint you.**

 **Guest (2): I'm more of a dog person too, myself. Of course, I love all cute animals. Cats, dogs, penguins, etc. If it has a cute incarnation somewhere in the animation industry, I love it.**

 **Guest (3): Incorporating the girls was one of the main goals of this story. Glad to know I'm doing that right.**

 **Bluejack222: My faith in my ability to debate has been renewed! To be fair in regards to August 31st, Touma put up a good fight before getting restrained long enough for Index to be kidnapped and then distracted by Mikoto.**

 **mohamadstar94: All in good time, good sir, all in good time.**

 **GhostofTime: I was wondering when someone would point out that writing quirk. Go time!**

 **ahsoei: Sorry if it looks rushed. It's probably because I spend a good amount of time trying to trim the fat off the original story. I honestly don't think anyone reading this wants to see me rehash the same scenes with the same jokes happening in the exact same way. I also don't want my story to end up as a wall of constant dialogue, so I condense most of the exposition that holds very little emotional weight and has few opportunities for jokes into narration instead of dialogue. As a result, scenes like Index sneaking home Sphinx and the specifics of the mission are cut down.**

 **Scarletrailgun (Guest): Sorry to disappoint you, but the Sisters Arc will have to wait. The Poltergeist Arc from Railgun comes next, so the Sisters Arc should be coming around in like two or three months, depending on how consistent I can be. Don't worry, once the Sisters Arc comes around, that's when the really heavy changes come in.**

 **Linkstore (Guest): This is a suit of steel, Medieval style armor in the most modernized, scientifically advance, futuristic city in the world. Do you honestly think people in Academy City would expect something made of steel and humanoid in shape to be anything but a robot? I plan to cover all the canon events. The differences lay in the character interactions and exploration and how those events are executed because of addition character.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, disclaimer time because I'm afraid of getting sued despite my small presence and lack of profit!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Meeting at Twilight

Whatever the girls were expecting when they agreed to help Stiyl with his mission, it certainly was not this. Five seconds after Stiyl and Touma stepped into the building and they already found a corpse. That had to be some kind of record. Based on the style of the armor, Stiyl deduced it was the corpse of a knight of the Roman Catholic Church. He also deduced that many more knights must have been involved as well and that they were all wiped out in their scuffle. The prep school had become a battle field, so dying was natural. However, one thing bothered the girls as they watched Touma's camera feed.

"Kamijou, does anyone else in the building appear to be disturbed by the corpse," Uiharu asked.

" _No, not at all_ ," Touma replied over his earpiece, " _In fact, I doesn't look like anyone even realizes Stiyl and I are here at all._ "

" _There are two sides, heads and tails, like a coin_ ," Stiyl explained through Touma's wiretap, " _Imagine Breaker and I are in the same place as them, but there's a barrier between us. The students are on the heads side. They can't see people on the tails side like Imagine Breaker and myself. And while we can see them, we can't interfere with them in anyway._ "

"Maybe Imagine Breaker can bring that barrier down," Mikoto suggested.

" _Don't bother_ ," Stiyl interrupted as Touma reached for the floor, " _The barrier is sustained by a core that is probably located elsewhere. There's a reason you can hide behind this barrier as well. Regardless, the death of this knight gives use one more reason to fight._ "

The girls silently watched the video feed as Stiyl walked off with Touma following closely behind. The whole situation was rather hard to believe, all things considered. Accepting the existence of magic was already a difficult task at first, but most, if not all, doubts were dealt with the night Touma lost his memories. Even with coming to terms with this, seeing the things magic was capable of was still a unique experience. Both Esper abilities and magic could bend reality, but many Esper powers will still bound to certain rules and required some base in logic for them to be possible. On the other hand, more complex magic seemed to completely disregard the laws of physics and reality in general, like imbuing life into inanimate objects or creating with only a couple of runes. To see that magic could create a sort of dimensional barrier was quite extraordinary.

Then, there was the matter of the killed knight. The girls expected this to be a simple reconnaissance mission, but the stakes were much higher than they originally thought. This alchemist didn't appear to have any qualms out killing those that interfered with whatever plans he had. If he would do that to a knight in full body steel armor, what could he do to Touma, a regular high school boy armed with nothing but his supernatural right hand? The girls didn't even want to think about who badly his body could be mangled by this alchemist, yet they had just let him walk straight into the dragon's den. Their friend already lost his memories to his last magical encounter. They didn't want him to lose everything else as well.

Regardless, Touma had already been in the building, so the time to run had passed. It's not like he was going to walk away from this anyway, that's just how he is. The girls knew this very well and accepted it, albeit begrudgingly. They continued to observe and guide Touma from Uiharu's computer, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

* * *

The girls continued to watch the laptop screen as it tracked Touma's movements throughout the building. There wasn't much going on, just Touma and Stiyl walking up a couple of flights of stairs. In fact, that was all that the camera was picking up for the last couple of minutes. There wasn't much in terms of conversation either, so all that the wiretap picked up for a while was radio noise and the footsteps of the two infiltrators as they climbed up a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs. It got to the point where the girls had ended up buying a couple cups of coffee from a nearby coffee shop just to not fall asleep watching the same video feed.

" _Hey, Kamijou, mind asking Stiyl why exactly you're taking the stairs?_ " Kuroko asked out of boredom.

Kamijou complied and was given the same explanation as before with the unaware students; the barrier. Since they were on the tails side, they couldn't interact with anything that existed solely on the heads side. That included the elevator buttons. Even if they followed the students into the elevators, they would have to take a chance with the floors they would be heading to. With Touma's luck, they probably never get to the right floor using that method.

"This is Misfortune to Headband. Come in Headband," Touma said over his earpiece, "Any alternate routes we can take besides the elevator or the stairs. Like escalators?"

" _No, sorry_ ," the resident 'girl in the chair' replied, " _I'm looking at the floor plan right now. No indication of any other way up._ "

"Rotten luck," Touma whined.

" _Man, this barrier thing can be a real pain, can't it?_ " Mikoto mused, " _Seem to be rather picky with what gets through._ "

"I have to wonder if cell phone calls can get across," Touma wondered aloud, "If the radio signals for my equipment are getting through, why not cell phone signals."

"Why don't you give it a try?" Stiyl suggested, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Okay then, I will," Touma replied, disregarding the sarcasm.

Touma quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Satan's landline. After a few dial tones, Touma was surprised when Index was the picked up the line, even more so by her apparent lack of understanding in how to use a phone. After a little bit of teasing, Touma asked of Index to hand the phone over to Saten. However, Index revealed that Saten had to leave for a little bit since Index ended up emptying the fridge again.

Of course, Touma was rather furious at Index's lack of restraint when it came to food, reminding her that while Mikoto may provide the funds that feed her, those funds were still limited. However, in quickly calmed down an apologized for yelling. He had more important things to worry about than Index's lack or restraint. After explaining that he was check cell reception and telling Index one last myth about the dangers of phones, Touma put away his cell phone, only to be met with a skeptical look from Stiyl.

"What? Is there something wrong?" Touma asked.

"Oh no. I was just thinking that you seem to be awfully relaxed," Stiyl claimed, "I mean, here in enemy territory and almost the first thing you do is start chatting up a girl. I don't really care if that ego ends up being the death of you. You can get yourself killed for all I care."

"You do realize that there are three girls on the other end of this wiretap that can hear everything you're saying, right?" Touma asked, gesturing to said device.

" _Nice to know we were not forgotten_ ," Uiharu said, " _I'd hate to be the character in a story that the author decided to just push to the side._ "

" _You're a really jerk, you know that, sorcerer!_ " Mikoto yelled.

"Come on, Zapper," Touma replied, "Don't insult a guy when he can't even hear you to defend himself."

"Regardless, I don't want you dragging me down with you. Got it?" Stiyl clarified.

"Jealous, are we?" Touma mused.

" _He's definitely jealous_ ," the girls agreed, having heard everything.

"Don't be ridiculous. I already explained to you my relationship with Index. That goes for you girls on the other end of the wiretap as well," Stiyl defended calmly, "I think you of all people would understand. Just think about it. She's lived for years in a body that would be destroyed without regular memory erasure. There were a number of people in her life that have been in the same place as you. Over the years, these people have tried to play various roles for her: father, brother, friend, teacher. I tried once and failed, then you tried and ended up saving her. That's all. That's the only difference between you and me."

Without another word, Stiyl continued to climb the stairs. Touma followed suit, but seemed to lag behind. He was quiet, lost in thought, something that didn't go unnoticed by the girls.

" _Hey, are you okay?_ " Kuroko asked over the communication link.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking," Touma replied quietly as to not let Stiyl hear.

" _It's about your memories again, isn't it?_ " Mikoto deduced, " _I thought you were past that. You said you found your answer and know who you are._ "

"I know what I said," Touma answered back, "I know I said that the me before and the me now are both part of who I am since the feelings that connect both of them to the people I care about still exist, but it's hard sometimes. Every so often it feels like the current me is severally disconnected from the past me, like some feelings that connect the past me to people don't apply to the current me."

" _Okay, you're starting to lose me_ ," Uiharu admitted.

"Take Index for example. She feels a lot of gratitude to the past me for saving her," Touma explained, "But now that he's gone and the current me is in his place, I feel like I'm receiving unwarranted thanks for saving her."

" _I get it. You feel like that gratitude is something that is exclusive to the past you, before you lost your memories_ ," Kuroko deduced.

" _But that's not true_ ," Mikoto argued, " _Index is grateful for you saving her, but that's not all. Ever since then, you've been looking out for her, making sure she is safe and cared for. We may cover most of the costs and provide the shelter, but that's only because we know you would have done so yourself and put yourself at risk if we didn't step up. You care for her like an older brother and she thanks you as such. The past you may have saved her, but the current you keeps her safe now._ "

Touma stopped in his tracks for a moment and thought about what Mikoto had said. Did he really deserve the thanks Index gave? Mikoto sure seemed to think so. If he really thought about it, she was right. He was being stupid. Index was thankful that the past him saved her, but she was also thankful that the current him stayed by her side, looking out for her. Those feelings of graditude applied as much to the current him as the did to the past him.

"Thanks, Misaka," Touma replied, "I needed that."

" _Don't mention it_ ," Mikoto replied sweetly, noticing he had used her real name again, something Touma only did when he was genuinely thankful.

"Hey! Imagine Breaker!" Stiyl yelled, "Pick up the pace or I'll leave you behind!"

* * *

It was twilight now. Still watching the video feed, the girls looked on as Touma and Stiyl walked into an active cafeteria. Everything seemed normal enough. Students from various schools were sitting around, talking, and eating various school quality meals. However, everything went to hell when the students suddenly stopped what they were doing. They started acting in sync and began to chant something, like some sort of prayer, and seemed to be aware of Touma and Stiyl's presence. Orbs of light then began to form in their foreheads and emerge, drawing closer towards the two infultrators.

" _Okay, Imagine Breaker, looks like you're up!_ " Stiyl yelled as he ran off, leaving Touma behind.

The girls were rather surprised at the video feed of Stiyl running away. Rather, they would be if it wasn't completely in character for him to leave Touma to deal with something that could potentially kill him.

The video feed then turned away from Stiyl towards the orbs of light, still approaching closer.

"Idiot! Run!" Mikoto yelled.

" _Right!_ " Touma screamed as he ran after Stiyl before overtaking him.

" _Why are you running?_ " Stiyl asked as Touma ran past him, " _Your right hand was strong enough to protect you from Dragon's Breath but instead of using it to defend yourself, you're showing them your back?_ "

" _You don't really have room to talk here! Anyway did you see how many of them there are? I can't fight that many with just one hand!_ " Touma argued, " _Uiharu, we need an escape route! Cross-reference my current position with security camera feeds and find us any hallways not flooded with the orbs of light!_ "

"Already on it!"

Uiharu typed away on her laptop as fast as she could. Tensions were high as she easily hacked her way into the building's security system and brought up the camera feeds for all the cameras on the floor Touma and Stiyl were on, as well as the floors above and below them. She compared the camera numbers to their locations on the map with Touma's tracking device. Most of the cameras brought up images of hallways filled with orbs of light and students chanting. However, a select few were clear of any obstacles. Uiharu kept an eye on the cameras and the screen, trusting Touma to make the necessary turns when needed.

" _Care to explain what this thing is?_ " Touma asked Stiyl as they ran.

" _It appears to be a Gregorian Chior_ ," Stiyl replied, as if expecting Touma to know what it was.

" _And that would be?_ " Touma asked again, clearly annoyed.

"Take the next hallway on your right!" Uiharu ordered.

The camera feed from Touma's wiretap displayed an approaching wall of orbs of light before suddenly panning to the right and displaying the shaking image of another, empty hallway.

" _I'll summarize_ ," Stiyl said, indicating he had made the turn as well and still running along with Touma, " _Essentially, it's a big spell formed by the voices of 3,333 monks in a holy shrine._ "

" _Can a bunch of people chanting nonsense do anything to hurt us?_ "

"Left turn in five meters!" Uiharu ordered again.

Like before, the camera suddenly panned away from the approaching wall of magic light orbs to an empty hallway.

" _It sure can, but it doesn't work unless every person is saying the exact same words at the exact same time_ ," Stiyl answered, not skipping a beat from the constant turning, " _We have to find whatever it is that keeps them all synchronized._ "

"Take the next stairwell and head down two floors!"

Touma did as he was told and Stiyl followed suit. However, it appeared that the two of them were too slow. Before they could go down the second flight of stairs, Touma's camera feed presented images of a wave of magic orbs starting to flood the next floor down.

" _Uiharu, we need a new escape route!_ " Touma begged over his earpiece.

"Working on it!" Uiharu cried desperately as she searched the security camera network for some other path they could take.

However, those plans were interrupted when Touma's camera feed suddenly began to shake and stumble down the stairs.

"Did that jerk just push him down the stair!" Mikoto yelled in outrage.

" _What was that for?!_ " Touma asked, swinging his ear mounted camera in Stiyl's direction.

" _Sorry, you drew the short straw_ ," Stiyl said with a wave, not really sounding sorry.

"Kamijou, next time you see him, punch him in the face and make it entertaining," Kuroko suggested.

" _Don't have to tell me twice_ ," Touma replied as he ran down the next flight of stairs.

He attempted to get away, but stopped when he saw what exactly was in front of him. On the girl's end, Touma's camera feed presented a single girl. She was chanting, just light everyone else in the building, and was surrounded by magical light orbs. As she chanted, another orb of light formed from her head and she began to be covered in cuts. Touma desperately begged for her to stop, but it was no use. This girl was not chanting by her own free will and would be unable to stop, even if she wanted to.

However, by some miracle, the girl stopped chanting and started to fall over. That was the last thing Touma's camera was able to pick up before going to static.

"What just happened?" Mikoto asked in concern.

" _Sorry, I managed to catch this girl and my camera came loose_ ," Touma explained over his communicator, " _Just my luck, it broke on impact with the floor._ "

"Don't worry, I still have the security camera feed running," Uiharu said as she expanded the camera feed for the area Touma was in.

On the camera, the girls saw the hallway flooded with orbs of light, with Touma and the now unconscious girl sitting helplessly on the floor. The orbs then began to gather in one spot, spirally around each other before rushing at Touma at full speed.

"Kamijou!" the girls cried as they watched from the sidelines.

However, much to their relief and confusion, the orbs stopped in their tracks just before hitting Touma. The floated in place for a moment, surrounding him, before slowing drifting to the ground and disappearing on contact.

"What just happened?" Mikoto asked.

"Guess Stiyl was able to disable the spell synchronizing everyone," Kuroko deduced.

Uiharu noticed Touma look behind him and up the stairwell. She manipulated the camera and tilted it up.

" _It's you_ ," Touma said to no one in particular.

Standing at the top of the stairs was Deep Blood herself, Aisa Himegami.

* * *

Back at Saten's dorm, Index was playing with Sphinx, stroking the kitten's fur as she spoke with him, as if he could answer back.

"Where do you think everybody went today, Sphinx?" Index asked.

She thought back to her conversation with Touma over the phone. She couldn't help but feel like he was a bit too calm about the situation. Normally, when she was wasteful of the resources that the girls had so generously provided her with, Touma would give her a lecture about the value of money and other people's generosity like he was her father or older brother. A lecture, mind you, that Index usually chose to ignore since the girls always said it was fine. It wasn't like Touma to just drop the subject of her apparent wastefulness without putting up an argument.

"Something's wrong," Index concluded, "Touma reacted way too calmly. He would never be alright with me forcing Ruiko to go shopping again because I ate all the food."

Resolving to figure out what Touma and the others were hiding, Index grabbed Sphinx and left Saten's dorm. However, she stopped in her tracks for a second when she saw the outside of the dorm covered with runes. To Index, something was most definitely wrong.

* * *

"We're all done for now, at least," Himegami said as she closed her first-aid kit.

"You did a pretty incredible job with her," Touma complimented, examining the passed-out victim, "Are you sure you've never had any medical training before?"

"It's not about training," Himegami answered plainly.

"Then how?" Touma asked again.

"I told you before, I'm a magician."

" _You never said anything about her being a magician_ ," Kuroko noted.

"Sorry, it didn't seem important at the time," Touma shrugged.

" _HOW IS THAT NOT IMPORTANT?!_ " Mikoto yelled, causing Touma to flinch.

She couldn't believe how much of an idiot he could be. In what context was this girl being a magician not be important information, especially knowing that magic was real.

"Sorry! Not so load! I never actually saw her do any magic, so I couldn't be sure," Touma defended, rubbing his ear.

" _You of all people should know to hope for the best and plan for the worst!_ " Mikoto argued back.

"What if I showed you something to prove it," Himegami interrupted, noticing Touma was talking to someone over a radio communication.

She reached into her robes, attempting to pull something out from the folds of her top.

" _Hey idiot! Look away, you pervert!_ " Mikoto yelled.

The yelling was quickly replaced by the sounds of Kuroko's screams, must likely from her trying to keep Mikoto from frying the laptop in her anger.

" _Seriously thought, Kamijou, we can still see you through the security cameras_ ," Uiharu said calmly.

Not feeling like arguing, Touma turned his head away. He only looked at Himegami again after she pulled out what she was looking for.

"Here," Himegami said, presenting her retrieved tool, "This is my magic wand."

"Um, that's a police baton!" Touma replied, mildly shocked.

"The latest model," Himegami added, swinging it forward and letting it spark with electricity.

"Put it away!" Touma demanded.

" _What is up with this girl!_ " the girls yelled, completely confused by the Himegami's calmness.

After getting Himegami to put away the baton, Touma said that he had come to break her out of the prep school. However, Himegami explained that she needed to stay, and she intended to do so. Specifically, she needed to stay under the care of Aureolus Izzard, and that required her to stay within the confines of the school he had taken over. Apparently, Aureolus's takeover allowed for the elimination of the science cult originally in charge of the school. However, Touma and the girls were still confused as to why she would let herself stay cooped up.

"Tell me something. Do you know what vampires are like?" Himegami asked, "They are no different. Vampires are no different from normal people. They laugh, they sing, they love. They make sacrifices for the good of others. My blood is unusual, it has a sweet aroma that attracts vampires. It rounds them up, draws them in, and it kills them. It's the same every time. It kills everyone, always, without exception.

"Academy City is a hub of supernatural activity. I thought I could find someone here to understand my power. And then, once it was understood, I hoped it could be taken from me. But in the end, the solution that I sought wasn't here. I don't want to cause any more death. If it comes down to it, I decided I would kill myself before taking another life."

Touma and the girls could hardly believe what Himegami was saying. Had her power really caused so much death and destruction? Not only that, but her claims suggested that it was physically impossible to tell the difference between a vampire and another human. People they met every day could have been vampires the entire time and they wouldn't have been aware. If what she was saying was true, them she had been forced to watch hundreds of normal looking people die at her feet. The girls could only hope to never see that many dead bodies, the thought was too painful to imagine.

However, one thing didn't add up to Touma.

"That so? Then explain something," Touma mused, "If you're so worried about the effects of your power, then why did you go out to eat earlier?"

"Simple. The reason Aureolus needs me is because he wants to attract vampires," Himegami answered easily, "And if I remain inside the barrier he created, I cannont draw them out as he wishes me to."

"Okay, but doesn't doing that for him go completely against your objective in all this?" Touma pushed.

"Aureolus maind a promise to me," Himegami explained, "He said he wouldn't harm any vampires that came to me. He said he didn't need too. He said he only needed the vampire's power because there was somebody he needed to help. That's why I'm working with him. Instead of kill, my power will be helping. That's how I want it to be."

" _Someone he needed to help?_ " Mikoto mused.

"It's never going to work," Touma said sadly, "Even if he's the kind of person you say he is, this a mistake that has gone way too far. If things keep going on like this, there will be no turning back."

" _You can't fault the man for wanting to help someone_ ," Kuroko agreed, " _but I agree, his methods are more than questionable._ "

" _Hang on,_ " Uiharu interrupted, " _Kamijou, the cameras are picking up someone approaching behind you!_ "

Touma quickly turned around and saw a man in a white suit with green, slicked back hair calmly approaching him.

"Perhaps, but why would I wish to turn back from the path I have chosen," the man said.

"Has he been listening?" Touma asked.

Himegami replied with a slight nod.

"I've been here longer than you think and I'm nearer than you imagine," the man said.

Once the words were out of his mouth, he suddenly appeared directly in front of Touma, much to his shock. On impulse, Touma attempted his famous right hook, but the man simply stated that the attack would miss, and the outcome was as he commanded. The following left hook was the same, as if the man's words held power over what Touma was capable of.

"What happened? How did you do that?" Touma asked in a growing panic.

" _This doesn't make sense_ ," Uiharu cried over the communicator, " _He's one place one second and another place in the next! It's like he's teleporting!_ "

" _Except that's not teleportation_ ," Kuroko corrected, " _I've seen how things look when I teleport them, and that looks nothing like what I do._ "

"Now, I find your company lacking," the man said, "Time to go!"

"No!" Himegami yelled, jumping in front of Touma.

"When push comes to shove, you rely on the power of your Deep Blood, which implies you do not wish to give it up," the man smirked, "If you cling to it, how does that make you any different from me?"

"I'm not a killer," Himegami replied easily, "This boy didn't even know what Deep Blood meant. He isn't here because of that. He only came today to rescue a stranger he met over lunch. Tell me, Aureolus, what is your true goal!"

" _This is the alchemist?_ " Mikoto mused outloud.

"Do you intend to take an innocent person's life because he inconvenienced you?" Himegami continued, "If you are the type of man who would do something like that, our arrangement ends here and now. I already made it clear I'm not afraid to die if necessary."

"Very well," Aureolus conceded, "I can not afford to more of my time anyway."

Aureolus quickly glared at Touma, earning him a defensive glare back.

"Don't worry," the alchemist said as he pulled out a large needle, "I don't intend to kill you."

He stabbed himself in the side of his neck before pulling it out again.

"You will forget everything that has transpired here."

* * *

"What just happened?!" Mikoto yelled in a panic.

"I don't know," Uiharu replied, staring at the camera feed Touma was on just a few seconds ago, "He just up and disappeared!"

"What about his tracker? Can you get a read on it?" Kuroko suggested.

"Not inside the building, no," Uiharu replied.

"What about outside the building?" Mikoto added.

"Hang on," Uiharu said as she typed away, expanding the search area for the tracking device.

"Found him!" Uiharu cheered, much to the girls' relief, "He's in a park just a few blocks from here."

"Okay," Kuroko said, grabbing on to her two friends, "We'll be there in a flash."

After a few teleportation hops, the girls found Touma and Stiyl sitting on a swing set, looking completely lost. The sun had gone down, and streetlights were starting to turn one.

"Kamijou!" the girls cried in relief.

"Hey, girls," Touma greeted, sounding like he wasn't entirely sure what to say.

"Are you okay?" Uiharu asked.

"Yeah, peachy," Touma replied, "Although, Stiyl and I feel like we were doing something important just now."

"Wait, you seriously don't remember?" Mikoto asked, growing concerned again.

"Can't say I do," Touma admitted, rubbing his head with his right hand.

The sound of shattering glass rang out. Touma looked like he just had an epiphany. He looked up and past the girls, straight at the building of Misawa Prep School not too far away.

"I want to show you something," Touma said to Stiyl, getting off the swing, "It's a little trick I know that will make you feel better in no time."

"Kamijou?" Kuroko asked in confusion.

"Home remedies are Kanzaki's specialty," Stiyl explained, "I think I'll just ask her about it later on."

"Just close your eyes and stick out your tongue," Touma insisted.

"What?" everyone else asked, utterly confused.

Touma closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue as an example.

"See?"

Not entirely understanding what Touma was trying to accomplish, Stiyl decided to just humor the boy for the sake of it. He removed his cigarette and followed Touma's instructions, completely oblivious to what Touma had planned.

"This is for using me as a decoy so your cowardly butt could run away!" Touma yelled.

Touma ran up to Stiyl at top speed, delivering a powerful right uppercut that forced Stiyl to bite his tongue and launched him off the ground a couple of centimeters. The sound of shattering glass was heard upon impact, releasing Stiyl from whatever supernatural power was affecting him up until then. When he hit the ground, Stiyl attempted to argue with Touma over the punch, but stopped when the memories started rushing in.

"You remember now?" Touma asked.

"Yeah," Stiyl replied as he picked himself off the ground, "Come on, we have to move!"

Stiyl and Touma immediately began running towards the school, but stopped when they noticed the girls had yet to moved. They just stood there, quietly laughing among themselves.

"Something wrong," Stiyl asked, confused.

"It's nothing," Uiharu said through her giggles.

"We were just thinking that Kamijou got you really good," Kuroko explained.

"Middle schoolers," Stiyl huffed.

* * *

The group made a mad dash to Misawa Prep School. When they finally arrived, they found a group of seven men wearing suits of armor and armed with swords lined up in front of the building.

"Hey, those look like the corpse form earlier," Touma observed.

"The surviving knights of the Roman Catholic Church," Stiyl deduced.

The knights all raised their swords skywards, as per the command given by the one in the center of the group. A bright, red light shone at the tip of each of their blades.

"A Gregorian Choir," Stiyl noted, "A real Gregorian Choir, not like the alchemist's replica."

"Didn't you say it took 3,333 people for those things to work?" Kuroko asked.

"Right now, there are probably that many congregants offering up prayer in the Vatican," Stiyl explained, "It's a Holy Hex Bombardment."

"And that would be?" Mikoto asked.

"That," Stiyl said, pointing up.

Above them, the clouds began to swirl and serge with red lightening. It appeared to be a small thunderstorm with the strength of a hurricane condensed into a localized area.

"But Himegami is still in there! Not to mention the other students!" Touma cried desperately as he watched the knights attack.

The storm above struck the building with a giant bolt of red lightening, one that rivaled the kind of storms Mikoto formed on a bad day. The building began to collapse. The windows shattered, and the two main towers began to fall apart and away from one another. However, the damage began to be undone almost immediately. Rubble reassembled itself into the shape of the building while the towers realigned themselves. It was as if time was turning backwards.

"It's going back up," Touma observed.

"Ars Magna," Stiyl explained, "it's the true power of Aureolus Izzard. And that's what we're ultimately going up against."

Soon enough, the building was in it's original condition, like nothing ever happened.

"Guys!" a familiar voice called out.

The group turned to the sound of the voice to find Saten running up to them with a grocery bag in one hand and Sphinx in another.

"Saten?" Uiharu asked in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Mikoto questioned.

"I'm sorry," Saten said, out of breath, "I was going home after doing some grocery shopping after Index cleaned out the fridge when I found Sphinx on the road in the area with this!"

She reached into her grocery bag and pulled out a very familiar white and gold hood.

"Don't tell me…" Touma said as he took the hood, "Damn! Thought so. This is part of Index's robes."

All eyes were drawn away from the hood towards the building in front of them. With Index's hood and Sphinx being in the area, it did not take a genius to figure out where Index was, especially with an alchemist in that building. The stakes just got much higher.

* * *

 **Well, that was the chapter. I'll admit, I don't think it was one of my better works. Still, happy I went through with it. You see what I did with the title there? Hopefully, my romantic subplots will be much better than those of the work I was referencing in the title.**

 **Dragon Head in the next chapter. Let's see how the girls take it.**

 **Leave a review if you like! See you all next time!**

 **Yo, best guys out there!**


	17. The Dragon King

**Here we are, the end of the Deep Blood Arc. The moment of truth, the reveal of the Dragon King/Invisible Thing. Hopefully, I managed to do this iconic scene justice. I was really conflicted about how to write it, since its appearance varies with the adaptation. I can only hope you all like what I did with it.**

 **Now, let's get some Q &A done.**

 **mohamadstar94: Let's see, shall we?**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad to know you think I'm improving. I really had to work my brain to find ways to inplement the other characters without making them feel alien. I will admit that Index is going to be the hardest to do since she is so inept with modern tech and has little to no stake in science side affairs. Sorry about forgetting the Aureolus Dummy. I want to read the novels, but I can't afford official translations and I can't come by fan translations. For me, Mikoto is best girl. I would she is my waifu, but I always found that practice weird and she is for Touma only.**

 **Bluejack222: Sorry this took so long, friend. You can't rush a man's craft.**

 **ADdude: Maybe she'll get involved, maybe she won't. Even I'm not entirely sure yet.**

 **Generation Zero: I'm sure you will enjoy the Sister's arc greatly when I get to it. That is where all the big changes start. Can't say much for Othinus as the most I know about her is from reading fanfic and the wiki since I can't exactly afford the Light Novels.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Don't worry. I've been planning to throw Touma a few bones for a while now and punishment to the rest of the Delta Force definitely qualifies as throwing Touma a bone.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Very well. You will face the full force of Kamikoto X7F Superior Mode, who will be piloting the universe eclipsing robot Super Heart Piercing Mikoto Kamijou! Oh, the girls are going to see the Invisable Thing. Why go through the trouble of rewriting the scene if nothing changes? I'm glad you liked my decision to take the politics between science and magic into consideration with fights. Don't worry, I have a couple of logic bombs and loopholes prepared so science side characters can get a piece of the action in the future.**

 **RedSS: Your in for a treat. Dragon head incoming!**

 **GhostofTime: Touma's luck always rubs off on other people! Now, let's get see how bad it is.**

 **Handsomistic1: You will see in the chapter.**

 **Guest (1): Four wall breaks are my life! All your questions are answered in this chapter!**

 **Linkstore (Guest): I counter your counter with the fact that science is constantly progressing, by nature. In this current age, we have humanoid robots that are becoming more and more advance. Academy City is decades ahead in technology from the rest of the world, so them having experimental humanoid robots in not unlikely. Also, I'm pretty sure I said this before but I will reaffirm, the style of the suit is drastically different from what is expected for powered suits. Academy City Powered Suits usually have large, bucket head helmets made out of some sort of translucent plastic that could potentially act as HUDs. The knight armor has a more form fitting helmet with grates for a visor, something that would be seen as inefficient and low-tech by Academy City standards and the armor itself, while bulky, lacks the bulk that is expected of a suit stuffed with wiring and motors. I do plan on changing things, I have been for the most part. The thing is the really big changes don't come until later down the line when they hold more impact.**

 **Guest (2): Thank you for the kind words.**

 **5waydragon: Failsafe for what? Index's memories? I'm not sure I understand your question.**

 **Dawn thief (Guest): I am still doing the Poltergeist Arc. That should have been obvious from the fact I did the set-up, the Big Spider Arc. Huh, never new Aogami said that. I'm not planning on adding any OCs. I don't have it in me to create backstories, personalities, and abilities of new characters without treading Mary Sue status, so I don't bother. You sure are passionate about your hate for Kamisoto, aren't you? Personally, I have no qualms against him as I only know of his story arc, I have yet to have the chance to experience it since I can't afford the Light Novels. Since his arc is so far of, it is unlikely that I will include him any time soon. I do find his premise interesting, as I always had an interest in antithesis characters, and World Rejecter is a power that intrigues me as much as Imagine Breaker, so I will probably still implement his arc. Also, you do realize your asking a question you should already no the answer to, right? "** **WHY did Touma went and save him?!" Touma answers that question the same way every time he saves someone. You really shouldn't expect anything else from his character if you were that far into the Light Novels before dropping them.**

 **Guest (3): I'm interpreting "The One Who Wields the Power of God" as Fiamma of the Right and "The One with Hundred fetishes" as Aogami. Definately Fiamma.**

 **Now that those are out of the way, disclaimer!**

 **Dis** **claimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 17: The Dragon King

After learning of Index's supposed kidnapping by the hands of Aureolus Izzard, the begrudging partnership of Touma and Stiyl once again entered Misawa Prep School in hopes of now rescuing both her and Himegami. Having lost his previous camera, the girls equipped Touma with a second, back-up camera that they bought in the event that something happen to the first. With Touma's luck, it was pretty much expected to happen.

The girls watched Touma's camera feed as he and Stiyl made their way through the building for the second time that day. With the girls now was Saten, who felt it was only right to stick around and help however she could after leaving Index unsupervised. However, she couldn't help but feel like she wasn't doing enough.

"This is all my fault. I should be in there with them," Saten said, "If I had stayed with Index, I would have made sure that she stayed in the dorm."

"Don't say that, Saten," Uiharu encouraged, "No one blames you for what happened."

"Besides, you know why you can't go in," Kuroko reminded everyone, "Even though you're a Level 0, you are still an Esper and thus a representative of the Science Side in the Magic/Science conflict. The two sides are in an uneasy truce to maintain balance, so if one side had a clear victory over the other, the balance would shift, and the truce would be broken. The only reason Kamijou is being let in is because Imagine Breaker is neither magical or scientific and his rank as a Level 0 is so low, he might as well be a normal human."

"Besides, you haven't seen what this guy can do," Mikoto added, clutching a fist, "With just his words, he forced reality the bend to his will and make Kamijou forget what he was doing and teleport outside of the building. He did something no one thought was possible. He got around Imagine Breaker's immediate effects on the user! You wouldn't stand a chance against him!"

"Too weak to be of any help, but at the same time, too strong to be allowed to help," Saten mused, "Talk about ironic."

" _Don't worry, Saten. I'll be sure to bring Index back, safe and sound_ ," Touma promised.

"Speaking of which," Kuroko interrupted, "Anything out of the ordinary yet?"

" _Well, the school is empty, but considering the time of day, I shouldn't be surprised_ ," Touma admitted, " _We took the elevator up this time, so I'm guessing the barrier from early had been taken down._ "

"But the purpose of the barrier was to keep Himegami's Deep Blood hidden so vampires didn't run rampant towards the school, right?" Uiharu noted, "Why would it be taken down now?"

"Maybe this Aureolus guy wants the vampires to come to him for some reason," Saten suggested.

"Only question now would be why he would want that," Mikoto pointed out.

Regardless of the reason for why, Aureolus now had Himegami and potentially Index in his grasp. All the girls could do now was wait and see what Touma and Stiyl could do about it.

* * *

Having had taken the elevator up the building this time, Touma and Stiyl had reached their target floor much sooner than last time. Up until now, Touma had just been following Stiyl as the made their way through the building. Stiyl apparently had an idea of where Aureolus would be hiding, but Touma couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. By the way Stiyl was acting, it was as if he had personally knew Aureolus at some point and knew exactly how he thought.

"Are you sure?" Touma asked as he followed, "Do you really have some idea of where this bastard is hiding?"

"Of course," Stiyl replied, "Do you think I would just wander through the hallways of this building if I had no clue where I was going."

"I have to admit, it's a bit scary," Touma mused, "If this guy can bend reality to fit his words… Damn! How are we supposed to Himegami out? And for all we know, Index is somewhere in her now too."

"Even supposing she did wander in here for some reason, he's not going to launch an attack on her like he did us. I know that much," Stiyl said calmly before stopping in his tracks.

The abrupt stop caused Touma to stumble on his own feet, much to his annoyance.

"What is it now?" Touma asked, not happy about the sudden stop.

"That's what it is! Why didn't I see it?!" Stiyl yelled at himself, throwing his cigarette on the ground, confusing everyone else listening, "He's been in hiding for three years now! There are some developments he wouldn't know about."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Touma asked in confusion.

He never got an answer as Stiyl suddenly took off. Had Touma not start running after him, he would have surely been left behind.

" _Any idea what just happened, Kamijou?_ " Uiharu asked over the radio link.

"Barely," Touma admitted, "What about you girl? Detective work has always been more of your strong suit then mine."

" _Don't sell yourself short, you're a pretty decent detective yourself_ ," Kuroko reprimanded, " _Regardless, it seems this has something to do with Index, like Aureolus has some sort of personal history with her._ "

"I was thinking the same thing," Touma agreed, "Stiyl seemed pretty familiar with him too. Only question is what that history is."

" _Looks like we're about to find out_ ," Mikoto pointed out, " _According to security camera feed, Stiyl looks like he's stopping at a nearby open door just ahead._ "

Turning the next corner, Touma saw Stiyl walking up to an open set of double doors, where moonlight could be seen pouring in. He quickly ran next to the Stiyl and found himself faced with Himegami, Aureolus, and Index in the office in front of him. Index herself was asleep on the desk with the alchemist watching over her, his back turned to the infiltrators. Touma attempted to rush in, but Stiyl gently blocked the way with his arm, stopping Touma in his tracks. Stiyl apparently had something to say.

"I have some bad news for you, alchemist," Styil said calmly, "Your plan will never succeed."

Aureolus turned around to face the two infiltrators, a confident smirk on his face.

"Oh, so you finally realized what my intentions here are," he replied, "In that case, I expect that you howl at your own impedance when achieve what I mean to do."

"A year ago, I would have done anything to see your plan succeed," Stiyl answered back with a smile before returning to a serious expression, "But I tell again, nothing you do now will help you to saver her. There is nothing you can do for Index."

" _He wants to help Index?_ " the girls asked in confusion.

"You speak out of jealousy because you have failed her in this. Not I. I will not fail," the alchemist declared, pausing a moment to spare Index a caring glance, "I will save her. My Index. She took the weight of all the grimoires upon her fragile shoulders. She could never hope to escape the spell that was cast upon her, but she has stayed strong. She accepts the fate decreed by the church, hoping her curse will be a blessing for others."

"You see, the alchemist here was once Index's partner as well," Stiyl explained, figuring everyone else was out of the loop, "This year, you have that honor. Last year it was me. And three years ago, it was this man, Aureolus Izzard."

"Index's survival is contingent on the annual erasure of her memory," Aureolus further explained, oblivious to the fact Touma and the girls on the other side of the wiretap were already well informed, "Without that process, she will die. An unescapable fate, on her human body cannot fight. However…"

"If her body was not human, things might be different," Stiyl finished.

Touma and the girls could hardly believe what they were hearing. Apparently, Aureolus intended to use Himegami and her Deep Blood in order to attract and meet vampires so he could learn how they could store lifetimes worth of memories throughout their immortal existence. Of course, for Index to be able to use the vampire's methods of memory retention, she herself would need to become a vampire.

It was bad enough that another magic side representative was grossly misinformed on how the brain functions, but now they had to deal with this maniac's extreme methods of turning Index into something that was not human. All of this just to save her life. A life, mind you, that no longer needed to be saved as her memory limit was never the issue and her curse had already been lifted thanks to a certain strange addition to Judgement. The whole situation was ridiculous to anyone that was well informed and not living under a rock regarding current events involving the magic side.

At the same time, Touma and the girls could tell that Aureolus was being genuine. He truly wanted to save Index from her fate and the hurt in his voice of not being able to was clear. He simply wanted to be the hero and save her.

However, it was at that point that Stiyl decided to break the news to the misguided alchemist.

"Then nothing I've said so far has changed your mind," Stiyl said in exasperation as he stepped to the side of the room.

"Well, in that case, would you care to do the honors as her current partner?" Stiyl asked, glancing at Touma, "Why don't you tell this misinformed hack about the recent change in Index."

Touma stared at the alchemist before him speaking.

"Alchemist, you have no idea what you're talking about," Touma said firmly.

"What's that?" Aureolus asked in confusion.

"Don't you see yet?" Stiyl interrupted, "You can't do anything because she's already been saved, and not by you. The title of 'savior' belongs to Touma Kamijou. He's already accomplished what neither of us were able to do. But course, you couldn't have known that. You turned your back on the church and spent three years in hiding. You've pretty much been living under a rock when the important stuff happened."

Needless to say, Aureolus didn't take the news very well. Of course, on body could blame him. By all means, Touma looked like a very average high school student. He was by not means a sorcerer. Heck, he barely qualified as an Esper. He was not the strongest looking human and didn't appear like someone who would posses a power to save someone like Index. Of course, anybody who thought like that would be dead wrong. As Stiyl explained to the confused alchemist, Touma's right hand held Imagine Breaker. With that right hand, Touma had inadvertently made all of Aureolus's efforts worthless.

Of course, anyone would think this would be a good thing. As Touma would put it, Index was saved so what did it matter who saved her? She was in trouble, Touma helped, she was saved, end of story. Unfortunately, Aureolus didn't seem to take it very well. He lost his balance momentary and wore an expression of pure shock and confusion. The revelation was so great that he needed to lean on the desk where Index was sleeping to stay upright. However, the slight disturbance caused Index to stir in her sleep.

"Touma," Index cried in her sleep, "Touma."

"I'm here, Index!" Touma yelled in response.

" _Do you think she's okay?_ " Saten asked in worry.

"Touma," Index said once again.

Suddenly, her stomach released a loud rumbling sound.

"I'm really hungry," Index followed up, rolling on her side in her sleep, "An apple. A juicy, red apple."

"Perfect timing," Stiyl said through his laughs.

At that point, Touma couldn't hep but laugh as well. Even the girls began laughing at the sight.

" _I can't believe this_ ," Mikoto giggled.

" _I know_ ," Kuroko agreed, " _All this time, we were worried that someone kidnapped her for her grimoires, only to find out she was fast asleep the whole time, begging for food._ "

" _Well, I sure feel better_ ," Saten added, happy her slip up wasn't as bad as she first thought.

" _Best part is we got the whole thing on tape_ ," Uiharu added.

However, all the laughing stopped when everyone heard the sounds of more maniacal laughing, like some mad man about to go on a rampage. All eyes and Touma's camera were on the laughing Aureolus Izzard, who now seemed a bit unhinged.

"You will fall to the floor, intruder!" he yelled.

Suddenly, Touma and Stiyl found themselves pinned to the ground by some supernatural force.

" _Kamijou!_ " the girls cried in worry.

"You come in here and trample my emotions; sneer at my prevail," the alchemist said, stabbing himself with another one of his needles, "Very well, you will pay for this humiliation! You will pay with your pathetic lives!"

"Stop now!" Himegami yelled, standing between the infiltrators and the alchemist.

"Himegami, careful," Touma warned as he struggled to get up.

" _Kamijou, you need to get up, now!_ " Uiharu begged, " _Aureolus doesn't need Himegami anymore so he would hesitate to hurt her!_ "

"Working on it," Touma answered, trying to shift his right hand towards him.

" _This doesn't make sense. How can his magic work on Kamijou directly_ ," Saten asked, " _Shouldn't Imagine Breaker instantly negate anything supernatural that comes in contact with it, like phenomenon aimed at Kamijou's entire body?_ "

" _I don't think now is the time to be worrying about that right now, Saten_ ," Kuroko pointed out, " _We have bigger things to worry about._ "

" _Come on, idiot! Get up!_ " Mikoto yelled.

"Really not helping, Zapper!" Touma yelled back.

After much struggling, Touma was able to reach his right hand to his mouth. He gently bit his thumb, negating the affect of Ars Magna. Unfortunately, by the time he managed to do so, Aureolus had already given the command of Himegami to die. With just his words, she had begun to fall backwards, her body limp and lifeless. Touma ran up and managed to catch her before she reached the floor, hoping for some chance that she could still be saved.

"Himegami…" Touma whispered, trying to wake her up.

" _Is she okay?_ " Uiharu asked.

"Her existence is no longer necessary," Aureolus gloated with a laugh, "And as you can see, I even kept my promise to her. As she wished, I have set the girl free from the misfortune of her sweet blood."

As Aureolus continued to laugh and gloat, Touma desperately shook the now dead body, hoping for something to happen. To Touma and the girls' relief, Himegami suddenly gasped for a breath of air, a clear sign that she not only was alive, but had just come back from the dead.

"What?!" the alchemist asked in pure shock, "You somehow negated my Ars Magna? Impossible! Her death should have been irreversible. What kind of sacrad power do you possess in that hand of yours?"

"Stop your deranged babbling! You've clearly been defeated, it's time to give up!" Touma declared as he stood up, Himegami in his arms, "But, if insist on believing that you can manipulate reality, then I'll just shatter that messed up illusion of yours!"

Touma set Himegami off to the side of the room, opposite from Stiyl. Said flame sorcerer was still stuck on the floor, not even bothering to struggle off of it. Touma stood opposite from Aureolus, eyeing his opponent, as if daring him to make the first move.

" _Careful, Kamijou_ ," Uiharu warned, " _This guy can manipulate reality with his words. There is not telling what he will do to you, so stay sharp._ "

"Well, you know what they say," Touma replied, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

In traditional Touma fashion, Touma charged head first at the alchemist. Said alchemist calmly responded by pulling out another needle and stabbing himself with it. He gave the simple command, "You will choke" and Touma suddenly felt a pressure around his throat. He stumbled at the sudden lack of oxygen, falling to his hands and knees. In spite of the pain, Touma reached his right hand to his neck. With a single touch, Imagine Breaker worked its anti-magic, releasing Touma form the super natural choke hold.

"Electrocute," Aureolus commanded.

Out of nowhere, a surge of electricity formed in the room and surged at Touma. Instinctively, Touma rose Imagine Breaker to defend against it, stopping the bold of electricity in its tracks.

"Nice try, but I deal with electric attacks a hundred times more powerful than this on a weekly basis!" Touma taunted.

" _I'll take that as a compliment_ ," Mikoto commented.

"Be crushed," Aureolus commanded once more.

In response, a car appeared in the air over Touma. Seeing the car, Touma immediately held his hand above his head. Once the car and hand met, the car shattered into shards, like a broken mirror, before fading away completely.

"So, it is true. Your hand is the genuine article. It has consistently cancelled out my Ars Magna attacks," the alchemist observed, "In which case, I just need to use an attack that your hand can not touch and there for cannot nullify."

Aureolus took out another needle and once again, stabbed himself in the neck.

"In my hand a gun will appear," Aureolus ordered, "It is loaded with magic bullets, any one of which can carry your death. The bullets will travel faster than the human eye can see. The shooting will now commence."

Just as Aureolus ordered, a pistol appeared in his hand. He aimed it at Touma and fired, only for the bullet to miss his head by only a few millimeters. Instead, the bullet impacted the wall outside the office, leaving a sizable crater.

"Did you think I'd let you die so easily?" the alchemist taunted, "I want to see you squirm a bit longer."

"Girls, I might be in trouble," Touma whispered.

"Magnify previous order! Ten pistols with simultaneous fire!"

On the Aureolus's command, the single pistol became two sets of five pistols. Each set of five was connected to a single pistol and were all controlled by a single trigger. The pistols all fired on Touma, each one hitting its mark and knocking Touma back.

" _Kamijou!_ " the girls cried in worry as their friend was shot down.

When Touma landed, he let out a cough as most of the bullets hit him in the chest. Upon closer inspection, Touma noticed he wasn't injured too severally. He didn't feel even a single bruise, let alone a bullet hole, on his body.

"Don't worry," Touma reassured his friends, "Looks like I'm still good."

"I told you I wasn't done toying with you yet," Aureolus laughed as he approached Touma, "That was practice. Now I'll show you what my pistols can really do."

"Well, what do you know," Stiyl interrupted, "you really can seem to use your words to manipulate reality in whatever way you wish."

"Obviously," Aureolus boasted, "Ars Magna is the strongest power an alchemist can possess. I can do anything I-"

"Oh, really," Stiyl cut Aureolus off, "Of so, what could you possibly need Deep Blood for? Why would you need her to attract vampires for you? Couldn't you just create them without using her? All it would take was a few words from you, right? So, why didn't you do it, alchemist? Why didn't you create vampires using you're Ars Magna? For that matter, why would you even need them at all?"

"Into the air, you meddling sorcerer!" Aureolus commanded, his voice seething with rage.

On command, Stiyl was lifted high into the air for all to see.

"Stiyl, No!" Touma cried.

"I'm wondering if there might be limitations to your power," Stiyl continued, ignoring his more precarious position.

"Your skin will be torn from your body!" the alchemist yelled.

On cue, Stiyl's skin was instantly ripped away. With his skin gone, Stiyl's internal organs were all visible. His heart continued to beat and he was by all indications alive, his muscles, bones, blood vessels, and other organs close to the surface were exposed. The sight was so disgusting, Touma had to hold back the vomit attempting to escape his system. The girls were no better; their gags audible in Touma's earpiece.

Despite the disgusting sight, Touma was soon able to collect himself and think rationally. Stiyl was trying to tell him something. That was obvious from all the hypothetical questions he was posing. Touma thought back to what Stiyl had said regarding Aureolus's elaborate plan. If Ars Magna was truly all-powerful, why even have the elaborate plan? Not only that, there were inconsistencies when it came to Ars Magna's interactions with Imagine Breaker. Prior to knowing of its existence, the alchemist had no issue bypassing it. Touma was teleported outside the school not too long ago, something that even the Level 4 Teleporter Kuroko couldn't do. Then there were events like Touma being forced to the floor or choking. Imagine Breaker was attached to him, so it should have negated anything supernatural being directly applied to his body unless isolated from his right hand, just like with teleportation. At that moment, Touma realized that Ars Magna is not absolute and could be undermined, and he knew just how to do it. A new plan in hand, Touma got on his feet to face Aureolus one more time.

"I'm bored with this game. I believe I'll switch weapons," the alchemist declared, "I'll destroy you with a sword instead. Obviously, the source of your self-assurance is your right hand, which is your only weapon. It's clear my first course of action is to chop off your right arm. For this last attack, my spinning sword will sever your arm!"

The ten pistols Aureolus was using transformed into a single pistol with a sword attached to the barrel. Taking aim, the sword flew off the barrel of the pistol on command, spinning as it cut through the air. In the blink of an eye, the spinning blade cut straight through Touma's right shoulder, severing his arm and spewing blood everywhere. The blood splashed onto Touma's camera, obscuring the lens and cutting off the girl's video feed.

* * *

"Kamijou!" the girls cried as their video feed was blocked by a wall of red blood.

"Uiharu, we need a security camera feed, now!" Kuroko ordered.

"I'm trying, but most of the cameras in the area got put out of order by the crossfire!" Uiharu explained.

"What about this one?" Saten suggested, pointing to only camera feeds still online in the room.

As Aureolus's laughter grew in their audio feed, Uiharu quickly switched to the last remaining camera. However, said camera was inconveniently placed behind an equally inconveniently placed potted plant. While the room could be seen with Touma and Aureolus inside, the plant's leaves were blocking out everything below Touma's shoulder.

"What idiot put a potted plant in front of a security camera like that?!" Mikoto yelled, jumping out of her seat, "That's it! Kuroko, we're going in after them!"

"Sissy, you know why we can't!" Kuroko begged, "I want to help Kamijou as much as you do, but there is more at stake here then just our friends wellbeing. I hate to admit it, but our hands are tied."

"But he's literally been disarmed!" Mikoto argued, "We can't just leave him! He's bleeding out!"

"Misaka, please calm down," Saten asked, trying to keep her friend from doing anything reckless.

However, despite all their efforts, it was not the girls that got Mikoto to calm down. Rather, it was an odd sound coming from Touma's audio feed. It sounded like some sort of maniacal laughter, but it wasn't that of the alchemist. It sounded familiar, but at the same time not so. Looking at the video feed from the security camera, the girls saw that the laughter was coming from someone they least expected.

The one laughing was Touma Kamijou.

"Headband to Misfortune," Uiharu asked wearily, "Come in Misfortune."

She got no response. Touma just seemed to ignore her as he walked closer towards Aureolus, who appeared to be just as stunned as the girls.

Aureolus attempted to cut Touma's head off with the same sword pistol he used the chop off his arm. However, the blade somehow curved and missed Touma completely. When the attack failed, he tried again, this time with the same ten pistol combination as before. Once again, the blades curved around Touma, not even scratching him. In a final attempt to end the boy, the alchemist ordered the creation of infinite executioner's blades to dismember Touma's body. The blades all appeared suspended in the air above Touma before suddenly falling upon him. However, the blades never hit their mark as they were instantly destroyed, the oddest part being that the sound of Imagine Breaker rang out as they did.

" _Hey, I have a question, alchemist_ ," Touma said in a very not Touma-like tone, " _Honestly, did you think you were going to win? Did you really expect to defeat Imagine Breaker with an attack as pathetic as that one?_ "

"What's with Kamijou?" Kuroko asked in fear, "He doesn't sound like himself. It's almost like he's possessed."

In his attempts to defend himself, Aureolus dropped his supply of needles and struggled to recollect all of them. During this time, Touma only got closer to his prey.

" _You can't work your alchemy without using those needles, can you?_ " Touma deduced, " _You rely on them to keep any stray thoughts out from interfering. Is something wrong? Come on, use your words! Why aren't you fighting? Can't you control me?_ "

"What if he is?" Saten suggested, "What if Imagine Breaker was actually a seal to suppress something much more dangerous?"

Aureolus desperately begged Touma to stay away. In his panicked bid for survival, he stumbled away and hid underneath the coffee table near the desk.

"Come on, don't be ridiculous," Mikoto replied, albeit unconvincingly.

Despite what she said, Mikoto couldn't help but consider the possibility. Although she would never admit it, she had a great amount of respect for the Level 0 high school boy. He was a kind and gentle soul who always fought for what he believed was right. He never held grudges and was willing to help anyone, even those that would be considered his enemies.

However, the boy she saw on the screen right now was not him. This boy seemed ruthless and held no mercy. He appeared to enjoy the alchemist's panic and encouraged it with taunts and belittling. Her knees grew weak as she watched him approach the frightened alchemist, taunting and laughing at him all the while.

By the time Aureolous mustered up the courage to get out from under the coffee table, Stiyl had somehow healed and collected Index in his arms. At the same time, Touma was only a few steps away from him. Had he taken another step, he's right side would no longer be blocked by the foliage of the potted plant.

" _Your no match for me alchemist_ ," Touma said, earning the alchemist's attention once more.

To Mikoto, this boy on the screen was not even human.

" _I've figured it out. I know the secret of Ars Magna_ ," Touma explained, " _Your power is not making your words into reality._ "

To Mikoto, this boy she saw in that moment was a monster.

" _Oh no, your power is making what you believe into reality, and now that I know that, I will crush you!_ " Touma yelled, taking another step forward.

With that one step, Touma's shoulder stub was visible for the girls to see. At least, that would have been the case if a shoulder stub was all that was there. To the girls' surprise and horror, in place of Touma's right arm was a giant dragon head. The head was large enough to equal Touma's standing height when its jaw was open and seemed to be made out of an eerie purple light. Its physical form was only barely visible on its own, only becoming clearer thanks to the splatters of Touma's blood smeared across it.

The dragon's head let out a might roar that physically shook the room the battle was in, shocking everyone conscious to see it, both in and outside of the room. To the girl's horror, the dragon's head lunged at Aureolus, swallowing him whole as he screamed for his life. As soon as the dragon's head's powerful jaws clamped down, the resulting shockwave knocked the last camera out of order, cutting off the girl's video feed.

The girls could hardly believe what they had just witnessed. They had no words to describe what they were feeling. Words like 'fear', 'shock', 'terror' and the like were not enough to describe what they felt. To use those words alone would not do the emotions they were feeling justice.

At that point, Mikoto feel to her on her knees at what she had just witnessed. The experience was just too much for her scientific brain to comprehend. For the first time since learning about Imagine Breaker, Mikoto was utterly confused by the power in Touma's right hand.

"What was that?" Mikoto whispered.

* * *

The next day, Mikoto, Kuroko, and Uiharu stood in front of a certain familiar hospital room door. At the moment, Saten was accompanying Index, saying that they would be a bit late due to a run in with a certain acquaintance. In the meantime, the remaining girls saw it fit to visit Touma to discuss topics that would best be kept away from Index. The three girls exchanged a nod before stepping into the room.

To their surprise, Stiyl was already in the room with the patient, Touma, peeling an apple. Touma sat upright in his inclined hospital bed, his newly reattached right arm in a sling. Miraculously, that one injury was the only one he had.

"Hey, girls," Touma greeted, waving his good arm.

Stiyl barely spared them a glance, focusing on the apple. The girls sat on the visitor's bench across from Touma, intent on listening in on whatever Stiyl came to say.

"I'm not trying to get all cozy, or anything," Stiyl clarified as he worked on the apple, "I just figured I check on Imagine Breaker here."

"That's awfully nice of you," Mikoto observed skeptically.

"Of course, you all are probably more concerned with a certain other incident that occurred last night," Stiyl noted, "My guess would be that dragon that came out of Kamijou's arm."

The students stared at Touma's right arm, giving Stiyl his answer.

"It's nothing," Stiyl insisted, "just the manifestation of terror Aureolus felt at the time."

"What happened to the alchemist, anyway?" Kuroko asked.

"Well, he seems to have lost his memories and magical abilities," Stiyl explained, "I didn't want his death on my consciences, so I gave him a new identity and snuck him past the Knights of the Roman Catholic Church."

"Is that so," Uiharu mused, "Good for him, I guess."

"Word is Misawa Prep School is being shut down," Stiyl added, "I was going to thank all of you, but it seems a bit absurd, now that I think about it. All you really did was get Aureolus to bring the school down on himself."

"If anything, you should be thanking me for my acting talent," Touma boasted.

"Wait, that whole thing was an act?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"Yeah," Touma replied, "What? Did you honestly think I was some sort of psychopathic maniac that reveled in the fear and suffering of my opponents?"

"Actually, yeah," Kuroko admitted, "We had no idea you could act. For a while there, we thought you were possessed or something."

"I'll tell ya, it wasn't easy," Touma added, "My arm was chopped off and I had to act like it hadn't happened to keep our bluff going."

"That still doesn't explain how he could get past Imagine Breaker so many times or how you negated everything even after your arm was cut off," Uiharu pointed out.

"Like I said to the alchemist, his power turned his beliefs into reality," Touma explained, "When he teleported me out of the school, he didn't believe I had something like Imagine Breaker to prevent it, so his power made it so it was like I didn't have Imagine Breaker. Even after he learned about Imagine Breaker, he didn't know how exactly it worked or that it automatically negates things directly affecting my body, so his believed it would only work manually, like when I bit my thumb."

"And after your arm was removed?" Kuroko pushed.

"That was thanks to my acting," Touma continued, "I made it look like I could still negate things without my arm, so he subconsciously made it so his attacks would negate themselves."

"The pain must have been intense enough to put you in a state of shock," Stiyl deduced, "Thanks to that, you just able to do what needed to be done, kind of like Aureolus and his needles."

"Do not compare me to that psycho!" Touma said sternly, "How crazy can one guy be? He goes out of his way to obtain some crazy magic and create a master scheme involving vampires, all because he wanted to save Index."

Despite specifically demanding not to be compared to the alchemist, the girls couldn't help but do so. Much like Aureolus, Touma went to extremes just to help a single person. The only real difference between them was that Touma never dragged other people into his plans. They sat in silence, letting that thought sink in.

That silence was soon broken when Index could be heard running down the halls of the hospital, with Saten begging her to slow down. In response, Stiyl left his freshly cut plate of apples in Touma's lap and jumped out the window. He would prefer to not meet Index directly for the time being. After all, she was still convinced that he was her enemy, the unfortunate outcome of his ploy while acting as her partner last year and Touma saving her immediately afterwards.

"Touma!" Index yelled sternly as she entered the room and climbed on his lap, "I know what you were up too!"

"Up too?" everyone else in the room asked in worry.

"That's right, I know you risked you life in a fight to save Aisa and all of you were involved," Index replied.

"Aisa?" Touma asked, "Oh, you mean that freaky psudo-magician girl?"

"Wait, who did you hear that from?" Mikoto questioned.

"I think it would be obvious," Index replied, helping herself to Touma's apple slices.

"That was rude," Himegami said as she came around the corner of the room, "I'm no freak."

"Seriously, Kamijou," Saten added as she came around the corned as well, "You have not tack at all."

"Oh, hey Himegami," Touma greeted awkwardly, "I didn't expect to see you here with Index."

"It's not like I wanted her to come," Index clarified, "but she wouldn't stop going on about how she was desperate to thank you."

"Why did you do it?" Himegami asked, "Why did you help me? You could have died for some stranger. I'm just some girl you met at a fast-food restaurant."

"I don't see why I need a reason to help somebody," Touma replied nonchalantly, earning a giggled from the other students in the room.

"Of course he says that," Mikoto said, putting her head in her hand.

"That's Kamijou for you," Uiharu giggled.

"Word of advice, Himegami, don't question it when this guy helps someone," Kuroko advised.

"Yeah, no one's rescue is special to him," Saten added, "He just likes to play the hero."

"You make it sound like I don't care about the people I help," Touma sighed, exasperated.

"Hey, Touma," Index interrupted, "After a lot of discussion, it looks like the church has decided to take in Aisa."

"The actually church or your crazy Walking Church?" Touma asked, "I can never tell with you."

Touma never got a clear answer as a cat inturpted the conversation. Climbing out of Index's robes, Sphinx made his precence known and jumped onto Touma's face. After swiping at him for a bit, Sphinx ran off, leaving Index to try to catch him before he caused too much trouble.

"Sphinx, where are you running off to!" Index cried, running after her pet.

"You can't bring a cat to the hospital!" Touma yelled in anger.

"I thought you told you to leave him at the dorm!" Saten yelled, chasing after her roommate.

Suddenly, the door to Touma's hospital swung open, revealing a certain busty and clearly furious member of Judgement.

"Konori!" Kuroko and Uiharu yelled in shock!"

"Hey, chief," Touma greeted weakly, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Kamijou," Konori said sternly as she stomped into the room, barely ignoring the kitten chaos, "What is this I heard about you losing and arm?"

"F-funny story, chief," Touma stuttered, not at all intent on telling her about the accident.

"Kami!" an additional, male voice called out.

The door swung open yet again, revealing the two remaining members of the Delta Force.

"What is this?! We come by to visit you in your sickbed, only to find your room filled with girls of all types!" Tsuchimokado yelled in indignation as he and Aogami let themselves in.

"I knew something was fishy on the way here!" Aogami added.

"What does that even mean?!" Touma asked, utterly confused.

"I have developed as sort of sixth sense when it comes to you and girls," Aogami explained, "When ever you are surrounded by a high density of girls, my nose itches, and if at least some of those girls has a thing for you, my scalp tingles. I call it my Kami Disease Detector!"

'These guys can't be serious,' Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten thought to themselves.

"Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet?!" Touma cried, "Damned rotten luck!"

* * *

After a bit of struggling on Mikoto and Kuroko's part, Touma room was eventually cleared of all of the visitors. Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Index were all walking home when Mikoto realized she forgot something in Touma's room. Excusing herself, Mikoto ran back to the hospital to take care of her small problem, insisting everyone else go home without her. Of course, these actions were met with some suspicion.

When Mikoto reentered Touma's room, she found him sitting in his bed, reading his journal. He didn't seem to notice her enter the room. Taking her chance, Mikoto steeled herself. Once she felt ready, she made her presence known.

"Hey," Mikoto greeted, albeit shyly.

"Back so soon?" Touma replied, looking away from his journal, "Did you forget something?"

"Sort of," Mikoto admitted, taking a seat next to Touma's bed, "I never got the chance to ask when you would be let out."

"The doc said my arm should be healed in not time," Touma explained, "I should be able to leave tomorrow morning."

"I see. That's good," Mikoto said with a smile.

"I take it that wasn't the only thing you wanted to talk about," Touma deduced.

"What makes you say that?" Mikoto asked jokingly.

"It's written all over your face," Touma explained, "Just come out and say it."

"Who can you be so good are reading people yet not notice their feelings," Mikoto whispered under her breath.

"Come again?"

"N-no, that wasn't it," Mikoto stuttered, "I was just wondering if you still remember that favor you owed me."

"The one I owed you after the Big Spider case, right?" Touma asked.

"That's the one," Mikoto confirmed, "I was wanted you to spend all day tomorrow with me as the favor."

"What is this? Are you forcing me to go on a date with you are something?" Touma joked.

"I-it's not like that at all!" Mikoto yelled.

"Geez, I was kidding," Touma complained, rubbing his ears, "You didn't have to deny it so forcefully."

"I-it's just," Mikoto stuttered, "I-it's just that you're always pushing yourself so hard. I t-thought this would be a good way for you to relax for once. Get away from the chaos of your weird exploits."

Mikoto was reaching her limit. It was just so awkward for her to be talking to him alone like this. It especially didn't help that Touma kept staring at her, deep in thought. However, her worries were eased when Touma finally gave his answer.

"Sure," Touma smiled, "Sounds like fun."

"Y-you mean it?" Mikoto asked.

"You know me. I can't back down from a promise," Touma replied, winking.

"G-great," Mikoto cheered, "Meet me at ten o'clock tomorrow by the vending machine at the park. Sound good?"

"I'll be there," Touma said, giving her a thumb's up with his left hand, "Now, get going. I'd hate for your dorm manager to kill you the night before we meet up."

"Right," Mikoto giggled as she ran out, "See you!"

As soon as Mikoto left, Touma returned his attention to his journal. After flipping through the pages, he stopped on the next blank page in the misfortune survival guide. He then grabbed a pen from his nightstand and began writing a new entry, this one regarding the new mysteries of his right hand.

 _Unclassified Super Natural Force Section 1_

 _Subsection 1_

 _Imagine Breaker_

 _Origin: Unknown_

 _Abilities: Located in the right hand. Negates all other super natural phenomenon on contact. Suspected origin of all misfortune._

 _Warnings: Do not touch to magical clothing, especially those of women. Do not remove right hand; doing so will release an unknown entity. Further observation needed. Use with caution._

* * *

 **There you have it, the end of the Deep Blood Arc. I hope the girl's reactions to the Dragon King were as expected. I really wanted to give them a sense of not knowing by limiting their observation options with the broken and obscured cameras. I also really wanted to sell the fear and confusion from seeing their good and honest friend act in such a way that was contradictory to his personality.**

 **So, as is the event order goes, the next chapter or two are going to be based on filler episodes. However, I think they will be much appreciated filler. After all, Touma just temporally lost an arm. I think we all need this break as much as he does.**

 **Speaking of which, Touma and Mikoto will be going on a not-a-date next chapter. I already had plans set, but I feel like they are a little lacking. This is where you, the readers, come in. Leave in the reviews a potential activity the two can engage in during the next chapter. Provide details of what they would be doing if you'd like to. If your lucky, it might just be added in the next chapter. Just know that an arcade visit is already planned, so leave any suggestions if you have them.**

 **That's all for now. See you all next chapter!**

 **Humans are multimedia.**


	18. Day on the Town

**This took longer than expected. Regardless, the chapter is finally done, so now I have it here for all of you! Thank you all for your suggestions. I originally had planned something different for this chapter, but your suggestions have helped to completely transform it. I can honestly say this turned out much better than what I originally had planned. I was able to set up everything I originally had planned, while adding a few new set ups. You could say this chapter is a "Chekhov's Blade Works". Okay, terrible jokes aside, let's get the Q &A out of the way.**

 **ahsoei: Glad you think I'm improving. Those are some high expectations. At least I've already surpassed the other story's length.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Thanks for the tip.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad to know you liked the chapter and the character reactions. As for the journal, don't worry too much. The journal is now an integral part of Touma's life and serves to link the past and provide foresight for Touma in the future. It also insures that certain secrets aren't guaranteed to stay secret, as they are no longer secluded to Touma's brain. Lots of stuff will be thrown on its head in the future because of the journal, you just to wait and see what exactly that stuff is. I wouldn't worry too much about future arcs. With the irregular pace I'm going at, Index III should be out before I finish Index II. I'm barely halfway over with Railgun as it is anyway. If not, I just need to catch up on the other materials, like the Railgun Daihasei.**

 **Agent Nine: You know Touma, always the actor. After all, he's been keeping up an act since the end of the Index Arc in canon.**

 **LZWriter: Thanks for the kind words. Truth is, I've never been that good at creating original content. I always need some sort of base that I reshape. You could say I'm a Faker. Wow, I really need to stop making references like this, they're getting out of hand.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: I think you missed the part where _Mikoto and Kuroko_ were the ones clearing everyone out. Know those two, I wouldn't be surprised if Tsuchimikado and Aogami got ruffed up a little bit. I trust my readers to put two and two together, so I thought I could just leave that to the imagination. That suggestion certainly is interesting, but I was looking more for a single scenario, not a whole new story arc. Still, I'll keep that in the vault. Who knows, I might make that a filler arc or something.**

 **salishious: Thank you for all the suggestions. You'll be happy to know that a couple of them did in fact make it.**

 **Bluejack222: Thanks for the suggestion. Your theme made it in the final chapter.**

 **Syko-Soldier963: Sorry about that. So many characters have nicknames involving "God" and only two of them have the Japanese word for "god" in their normal names so it gets confusing. Still staying that Aogami gets the snot beat out of him... and blood... and lymph... and digestive liquids... and everything else.**

 **RedSS: The journal will come back in latter points in the story. The unclassified supernatural phenomenon section will be filled in as time goes on, usually when things of unknown origin similar to Imagine Breaker show up, i.e. World Rejector. The journal will play parts in other aspects of the story later on as well, but those will be a while.**

 **mohamadstar94: Thanks for the kind words.**

 **5waydragon: Commentary on Touma's acting had to be done. I mean, in canon, the guy is putting on an act to the rest of the cast the entire time ever since the Index Arc!**

 **Yourfellowwriter: Thanks! I plan to have Touma's discoveries in the journal be a slow and steady process. It's the big, immediate stuff that he needs to properly keep up the act of him being fine that he really knows right now. You can't expect a guy to read through several years worth of journal entries within a couple of weeks. Plus, as you'll see in this chapter, sometimes the journal creates more questions than it answers. A change in character relationships and dynamics was the main goal of this story, so I'm glad you're looking forward to future arcs. Honestly, the Sister's Arc is the one I am most excited to write about.**

 **GhostofTime: Thanks for the kind words. Slice of Life, incoming! Not too many, but there are a few funny and cute moments between the Level 5 and Level 0.**

 **Guest (1): Glad you liked the chapter. I like the suggestions, but they feel a bit too... unrealistic, I guess. Hot springs feels like a big leap and an accidental kiss feels a bit too comedic. I want relationships to feel genuine with proper build up and minimum slapstick. To rush into things like that feels too much like wish fulfillment. Maybe if I do another chapter like this later on, but for now, I'll put those scenarios in the vault.**

 **Guest (2): Yeah, that was the plan. As many people have figured out at this point, Accelerator is Touma's childhood friend in this story, separated thanks to Kihara. I'm trying to paint Accelerator's general character as something Touma greatly detests as to create some tension when the two meet up again, threatening any chance the two have of reforming their old friendship. I might have those in Touma's journal, but he new Accelerator before he was twisted by the Kihara's so they might not be in there at first. Of course albino's are one of Aogami's fetish's, he has a fetish for everything!**

 **Linkstore (Guest): I'm not going to argue with you about the knight anymore since it just seems pointless now. Glad you liked some of the extra additions. Yeah, my mistake. Tsuchimikado's name was always one I had trouble spelling.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: If your going to be playing that game, then here's a little poem for you! I am the bone of my ship! / Joy is my body and sweetness is by blood! / I have commanded over a thousand ships / Unaware of anchors / Nor aware of sails / Withstood heartbreak to lead ships, waiting for a pairs union! / I have no regrets, this is the only path! / My whole life was Unlimited Ship Works! You see, it's not ships I command. I command a universe that holds ships without number. From the heart of Kamikoto X7F Superior Mode, I command Super Heart Piercing Mikoto Kamijou through battle within this personal universe which records every ship I've ever seen, allowing me to use their abilities as my own. So, ArmoredCoreNineBall the friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things, do you have enough ships in your fleet? Anyway, glad you liked the chapter. Again, I don't feel like too many diviations could have been made while still adhearing to the rules and laws established in the canon universe, but I did what I thought was needed to make it fresh. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **GMMaster: Glad you liked the chapter. I least one of your ideas made it in, so congrats!**

 **Generation Zero: Well, there is still a lot that is undecided for this story. I'm still not entirely sure how the story will progress a after 5 or 6 chapters. It could go anywhere from here.**

 **School (Guest): As awesome as the fight would be, I think that fight in the opening was supposed to be symbolic. If you pay attention, you can see Mikoto push Kuroko away as Mugino fires at them, leaving Mikoto to fight on by herself. When Mikoto is backed into a corner, Touma appears out of nowhere and savers her. See the parallels with what actually happens?**

 **Handsomistic1: At this point in time, they believe that the Dragon King is was just Aureolus' work. Touma, having experianced if first hand, does suspect it is real, but the girls less so.**

 **Kim454: Don't worry. If it's been covered in the anime, I know about how the events play out. It's stuff not covered in the anime that I am fuzzy about. Thanks for the help, though.**

 **RPGPersona: I'm glad you liked the chapter. A lot of what I write is based in the anime, so some details will vary from the novel. Still, I make it a personal goal to explain some of the finer details of the anime adaptation based on my own analysis. Himegami ends up living with Komoe if I remember correctly, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Plus, I think it has more to do with the church providing her with a walking church to suppress her power.**

 **King Tyras: I am honored that you chose to read my story as your first out of thousands. I appreciate the suggestion, but I feel like it would rush the relationship, never a good thing when going for realism in relationships. I hope you stick around.**

 **Well, that took longer than expected. Guess that's what happens when your inactive for over two weeks. Oh, well. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Day on the Town

The following day, Mikoto got up bright and early with a spring in her step. Practically nothing could ruin her mood, Not even Kuroko's daily, unwanted wake-up call. The most Mikoto was willing to retaliate was with a mild electric shock, as in one that didn't leave the victim smoking and covered in soot. The shock Kuroko received was only enough to leave her paralyzed for a few a few minutes, long enough for Mikoto to properly get dressed without being molested.

Such calm behavior was unexpected from Mikoto, especially when Kuroko's more questionable habits were involved. When asked about it, Mikoto only replied with the simple explanation of having special plans that day before leaving the dorm to grab some breakfast. Once Mikoto had left, Kuroko couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story than what her roommate had claimed. Her curiosity and suspicion getting the best of her, Kuroko grabbed her phone to email Uiharu and Saten to tell them the disturbing news.

* * *

"You seem to be in a good mood today, Misaka," Maika observed as she poured her 'master' a cup of tea.

"What can I say? I have a lot to look forward to today," Misaka replied, taking a sip of her tea, "lots of big plans."

"Would those plans happen to involve Kamijou, by any chance?" Maika asked innocently, causing Mikoto to nearly choke on her tea.

"W-why would you think that?!" Mikoto stuttered.

"My brother makes it his personal mission to know everything about his friends," Maika answered, holding her cheek in a dreaming daze, "It's one of the many personal talents that I love about him."

"So, your brother's a siscon and nosy," Mikoto grumbled, "He's a real a stand-up guy."

"Don't be so hard on him," Maika defended, "He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's actually really dependable. I'm sure Kamijou can attest to that."

"I'll be sure to ask him about it," Mikoto said, looking at the nearby clock.

It was 8:00 am and she still had two hours before she and Touma were supposed to meet up. Regardless, Mikoto had finished her breakfast and would need to head out soon anyway. Besides, she wouldn't want to show up late, so earlier was better.

"I need to go," Mikoto said, getting put of her seat, "I don't want to be late. Hopefully, that idiot doesn't show up late himself. Later, Maika."

"So you were planning on meeting Kamijou!" Maika cheered in victory.

"Ignoring that!" Mikoto yelled back, waving goodbye as she walked.

* * *

Mikoto arrived at the designated meeting place, her usual broken vending machine, at around 8:30. It was almost nine and Touma had yet to arrive. She looked around the area frantically, tapping her foot in a mixture of anxiety and impatience. On one hand, the whole meeting was her idea and she only had herself to blame for coming so early. On the other hand, she was berating her for setting up the Touma and herself for a situation that was sure to look like a date to an outsider. Mikoto would never admit it, but the idea of being able to spend alone time with Touma was really appealing to her. She wouldn't have minded if these sorts of meetings became a normal thing for them.

Then again, something about the whole situation was also extremely embarrassing. Knowing her friends, she would never hear the end of it if they found out. If Kuroko's claims of wanting a triple relationship between the three of them were to be believed, she would try to worm her way in at every opportunity, effectively ruining the experience. Uiharu and her constant romanticized fantasies would make Mikoto and Touma's interactions with Touma all the more embarrassing, especially if she managed to get Mikoto to put serious thought into them. Then there was Saten's constant teasing, which, while good natured, would never end and be a constant burden to listen to.

The idea of all that embarrassment from her friends made Mikoto grow even more embarrassed than she was before. Her face burned bright red and steams seemed to escape from her ears and the top of her head. She started tapping her foot more aggressively, increasing the rate and strength of her foot tapping. She got so caught up in her embarrassment that she failed to notice a certain spikey haired high school boy approach her.

"Are you okay, Zapper?" Touma asked, bending down to meet her at eye level.

He wore a casual outfit as opposed to his school uniform, a luxury Mikoto did not have. He wore a simple set of blue jeans with a generic, orange t-shirt and sneakers. A modest outfit, but an expected one for the normal high school boy, especially considering his lacking personal funds.

Finally able to comprehend what was going on around her, Mikoto jumped back in surprise when she saw Touma looking her in the eye, only a few centimeters from her face.

"When did you get her?!" Mikoto yelled, "What took you so long?!"

"…Uh, I just got here, on time too," Touma explained awkwardly, "Did you come here early or something and get a heat stroke?"

"N-no, I'm fine," Mikoto stuttered, shaking her head, "I was just lost in thought. I'm glad you came."

"Hey, I promised, didn't I? Touma Kamijou never breaks a promise," Touma replied proudly, "So, did you have any plans in particular for today?"

"Yeah," Mikoto answered, reaching into her skirt pocket, "I figured we could spend check this out."

She pulled out a sheet of paper and presented it to Touma. The paper was a flier for a carnival that apparently was visiting Academy City for the week.

"Phantasm Carnival?" Touma read, "That's certainly a strange name."

"Yeah, the carnival is free to enter and everything there is super cheap, yet high quality," Mikoto explained, "I figured something easy on your wallet would be appreciated. Not only that, but they're famous for their live-action comedy skit show, which shows different skits throughout the day."

"Sounds interesting," Touma mused, "Okay then, I'll go along with this."

"Trust me," Mikoto said, timidly grabbing Touma's hand, "After everything you've been through recently, you need this."

Without much of another word, Mikoto dragged Touma towards the traveling carnival. When they arrived, the pair of students couldn't help but admire all of the stands and booths that were set up around one of Academy City's many parks. There were stands and booths of various foods and a multitude of carnival games. While Touma had learned a long time ago thanks to his rotten luck that a good number of carnival games were rigged, he noticed that a good number of the games at Phantasm Carnival were of the nonrigid variant. There was no sign of the impossible games like the ladder climb or the get-it-right-or-get-lucky games like throwing pin pong balls into glasses. Really, so long as someone had the proper skill, any of these games were fair.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Mikoto asked.

"How about that booth?" Touma suggested, pointing towards a classic, the water gun race, "That could be fun."

"You do realize you'd be up against me and my impeccable aim, right?" Mikoto pointed out.

"There's a Gekota Plushie on the top shelf and only two seats left at the booth," Touma replied, knowing the perfect bribe to get Mikoto to play her hardest.

"We're winning that Gekoto!" Mikoto yelled, dragging Touma straight to the booth.

The two students went about their day going to as many booths as they could possibly hit, usually the ones with Gekoto merchandise as prizes. There were loads of games in the carnival and each was unique. One game was an endurance challenge akin to a mechanical bull ride. It used the latest in simulation technology to replicate the conditions for surfing, moving the board in response to both the shifting weight of the person on top of it and the synthetic waves presented inside the user's VR headset. Surprisingly, Touma was rather proficient at it, achieving the record time out of anyone that had played in game that day. Another game involved using an infrared sniper rife to blast a target from several meters away. Mikoto proved unrivaled in this game, having blasted things with her railgun from much farther distances.

One particularly interesting game involved using a boxing glove to punch a ball attached to spring-loaded rail to hit a bell at the end of it, essentially a horizontal Ring the Bell game. The two students ended up in a back-and-forth, mostly instigated by Mikoto's pride, trying to outdo each other. Eventually, Touma's iconic right hook won out, allowing him to ring the bell when no one else that day could. Evidently, this won him a giant Gekoto Plushie, something that he was more than happy to give to Mikoto.

However, that was not to say that the day had gone completely smoothly. Unknown to either Touma nor Mikoto, all of their friends had decided to the Phantasm Carnival as well. Multiple times that day, the pair had to turn the other way when they saw Kuroko, Uiharu and Saten wandering the carnival grounds or Tsuchimikado and Aogami attempting to flirt with a couple of random girls. The worst part was that the girls seemed to be looking for something or someone and Aogami was constantly scratching his head and nose as if his Kami Detector was going off. Preferring to not have to explain and embarrass themselves, Touma and Mikoto elected to just avoid their friends as best as they could.

Eventually, the two students decided to stop for lunch. They sat at a table for two at a food court set up in the middle of the carnival, enjoying their individual meals with Mikoto's new collection of Gekoto plushies sitting next to them.

"You enjoying yourself?" Mikoto asked, taking a break from her meal.

"Yeah, I really appreciate you doing this for me," Touma replied, "Most of the time when you do someone a favor, it's for their benefit, not your own."

"After everything you've been through, you deserve it," Mikoto said with a smile.

"Still, you know I hate having people worry about me," Touma argued.

"How can we not worry with all the stuff you put yourself through?" Mikoto asked back, "Speaking of which, have you been managing? With your memory loss, I mean."

Touma stared down at his food, unsure what to say.

"Yeah, I manage," Touma said, avoiding eye contact, "My journal has been a great source of information about my past."

"Maika tells me her brother is rather dependable," Mikoto mentioned, "Care to confirm them?"

"If my own writing is to be trusted, yeah. He and Aogami drag me into a lot of terrible situations, but if there is a way for all or none of us to escape, then we all stick together," Touma replied with a stiff laugh, "Of course, if any of us could escape with the sacrifice of one of our own, we'd take that chance too, but we all agreed that would be the best course of action."

"Guess your journal is pretty on point," Mikoto mused.

"I guess," Touma agreed, "but I can't help but feel disjointed from it at times."

"What do you mean?"

"I found out a lot about some of the people I knew back then, like my parents and my cousin. I had to remind myself to get back to writing letters to my dad like I apparently did before, just to make sure he doesn't worry too much," Touma explained, "But at the same time, I also learned about a whole ton of people that I've drifted apart from and now I'm not sure how I should approach them if I ever see them again."

"People you've drifted apart from?" Mikoto asked, growing more intrigued, "Like who?"

"Well, for one, there is my best friend from when I was a kid, Yuri," Touma answered, "When I first came to Academy City, he was the only kid I could really get close to since the two of use were outcasts. Just like how my bad luck drove people away from me, his unstable control over his extremely powerful Esper power drove away from him, literally. Thanks to Imagine Breaker, I was able to get close to him and I help him to get away from some kids trying to pick a fight with him. We became nearly inseparable after that, but only nearly."

"What happened?" Mikoto asked, "How did you get separated."

"Some scientist came one day and took him in to study and develop his power," Touma explained, "They took him so some facility and that was the last time I saw him. They never let him out of the facility and I was never able to get in contact with him again. At least, that's what my journal says. And then, there's my older sister."

"Wait, you have an older sister?" Mikoto interrupted, rather shocked, "You never mentioned that before."

"I guess I never thought it was important," Touma answered, "She was only a year older than me, but was constantly looking out for me, what with all the negative reputation my rotten luck got me. When I came to Academy City, she transferred with me to keep an eye on me. For some reason, after we learned she had a lot of potential as an Esper and became a Level 3 at the time, she disappeared. Everything about her seemed to be removed from the data bank and she started living separately from me. I never saw her again after that, and I was only five or six when she disappeared."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mikoto apologized.

"My parents tried to move past her disappearance and not discuss her too much, hoping I would forget," Touma said with a stiff laugh, "I guess it worked. I don't even have a proper photo of her now, so I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her, and that's assuming she didn't disappear on purpose and change her appearance to boot. At least with Yuri, I might be able to recognize him with the photo I have in my journal."

Mikoto had a hard time taking it all in. She new that Touma's memory loss had impacted him greatly, but she never realized it was this bad. He had people he cared about, his family and closest friends, that he might have lost any meaningful connection with after his lost his memories. If he met Yuri again, he might not be able to pick up where their friendship was broken. If he met his sister ever again, he wouldn't even know it. Even the feelings that connected him to others might not be able to fix these broken and stagnant relationships.

His journal helped, but there were still gaps in the information it provided. Sometimes, the only copy of that information existed in his old memories, which no longer exist. To live like that, to be missing parts of his past like, was no way for someone as kind and special as Touma Kamijou to live.

Yet, Mikoto could just leave it at that. This boy in front of her deserved much better than what the world had burdened him with. She would make sure that he got what he deserved, and he deserved better than his rotten luck.

"Don't worry. It's a small world. You'll meet Yuri and your sister again," Mikoto said reassuringly, "When that happens, I'll do what ever I can to help you reconnect with them. I promise. You of all people deserve to be reunited with the people in your past."

For the first time during that entire conversation, Touma looked up at the girl he was talking to. She had a fire in her eyes that was determined, but at the same time warm and reassuring. It was like watching a festival bon fire, strong and wild yet warm and comforting.

"Thanks, Misaka," Touma smiled, "I appreciated it."

"Your welcome," Mikoto replied, returning the smile.

After finishing their meal and cleaning up, the pair of students began to once again wander the park.

"So, where to now?" Mikoto asked.

"Didn't you mention something about Phantasm Carnival having a live-action comedy skit show? Why not that?" Touma suggested, "I think we collected enough Gekota merchandise for a while."

True to his words, the pair was practically swamped with Gekota merchandise. Mikoto's pockets were filled to the brim with finger puppets, cell phone straps, figures, and pins, and her arms were preoccupied with several Gekota and Pyonko plushies. Similarly, Touma was carrying the giant Gekota plushie he won from the horizontal Ring the Bell game on his back, strapped onto him with several promotional Gekota patterned belts.

"I can't argue with that," Mikoto replied with a stiff laugh.

Sometimes, she really hated being such a devoted Gekoer.

Without any argument from either student, the pair made their way to the stage where the skits were performed. After an awkward tread through the carnival grounds avoiding their most likely still present friends and the skeptical looks of other carnival goers, Touma and Mikoto were able to finds a few seats that had a good view of the show, as well as plenty of space to put their large collection of Gekota merchandise. Shortly after they had arrived, one of the actors took centerstage to provide a quick disclaimer, making it clear that any similarities between the performances and actual people and events were mere coincidence. With that claim made clear, the skits came in full force.

Each skit depicted some normal scenery and took them to their absolute extreme in absurdity. On skit involved a pretend game show that quickly spiraled out of control after someone joined uninvited and accidentally killed someone. Another skit involved a trip to the store, which caused collateral damaged throughout a city, critically injured seven people, and kill one. Surprisingly, the one person killed was played by the same actor that played the character in the last skit that died. Another skit involved a city sanctioned street race with several different types of vehicles and several deaths and crashes, the first of which being the played by the same actor that played the characters that died in the previous skits. Some people were starting to think it was supposed to be the same character every time. Other skits included an extremely charismatic maid-waitress, a technologically inept person trying to operate a Blu-ray Recorder, and a guy trying to go on dates with several girls in different locations at the same time.

The crowd was laughing the entire time during each of the skits, and Touma and Mikoto were no exception. Touma couldn't help but laugh at the idea of someone having even worse luck than he did. Sure, he luck was bad, but it wasn't so bad that he died every single day, only to be brought back to life the next day to face some other death. Similarly, Mikoto practically lost it when she saw the wannabe Harem Master fail to keep all his simultaneous dates secret from one another and get divine punishment after being discovered. At the very least, it reassured her that Touma wouldn't attempt something so stupid.

The skit show was just what they needed to move past the depressing talk they had during lunch. By the time the skits had finished, the pair of students were still laughing their heads off at the show they just saw. It had to be the most fun either of them had had in a while. They were having such a good time that they failed to notice a group of five familiar faces gather in front of them as they left the theater.

"So, you were here together!" all five voices said simultaneously.

As soon as they heard these voices, Touma and Mikoto's laughter came to a screeching halt. Slowly looking in front of them, their eyes were met with those of Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami. In all their laughter, they completely forgot to keep an eye out for their friends, who would now surely bombard them with the accusations they all feared.

"How could you do this to me?" Kuroko cried, "You two go on a date to the carnival, and you even bring me along? Unthinkable!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Uiharu asked, "A spirited princess and a heroic pauper out on the town, such a romantic story must be shared! We would have given our full support!"

"You two enjoying your little date?" Saten teased.

"Could this be?" Tsuchimikado pondered, "Has Kami actually selected a girl?"

"I knew my Kami Detector was going off!" Aogami declared.

As the jokes, accusations, and teasing piled on, Mikoto grew more and more irritated. She began to shake and become a progressively darker shade of red. As she did, Touma began to take a few steps back out of a need to preserve his own life. He had seen all of these signs from Mikoto before. He was the cause of these signs from Mikoto 30% of the time, and that was a generous estimate. Thus, he did the only course of action that seemed logical: he ran.

Despite having the ability to negate other abilities, Touma was not confident in his own ability to stop Mikoto at this point. When she got really mad, she released surges of electricity that could engulf bridges. Plus, with the number of people she was potentially targeting, it would be impossible for him to help them all, as touching her would only make this worse in the long run. Thus, he ran as fast as he could to avoid impending doom.

When Mikoto finally released her frustrations in the form of electricity, Touma was already a couple dozen meters away. Reacting quickly, Kuroko grabbed Uiharu and Saten and teleported to a safe distance. However, Tsuchimikado and Aogami were not so lucky. The two boys were each hit with a comparably weaker surge of electricity, but it was strong enough to give them a good shock and send them flying. The fly at a low altitude across the carnival before landing in a bouncy castle ball pit. When then landed, they could only focus on a single thought.

'Maybe we took that too far.'

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and the sun was setting. After her little outburst, Mikoto had left the carnival and sat herself down on a nearby park bench. She hutched over the bench, staring at the ground. She was just so frustrated. It had been a great day for her up until everyone else showed up. Why did they have to embarrass her like that? Couldn't they just leave her and Touma be and enjoy themselves? It was hard enough working up the courage to take him to the carnival in the first place. She didn't need her friend's constantly watching her to add to the stress. Sometimes, it really felt like Touma's rotten luck was rubbing off on her.

"Hey, you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

Looking up in response, Mikoto saw that Touma had caught up to her, the giant Gekota plushie still strapped on his back.

"Oh, hey," Mikoto replied, "I'm fine now. Sorry for leaving you behind like that."

"Don't worry about it," Touma said reassuringly.

He sat down beside her and undid the belts on his shoulders, releasing the Gekota.

"Here, you forgot this," Touma said, offering her the giant frog.

"T-thanks," Mikoto replied as she gently embraced the toy, "Sorry about today. I wanted to show you a good time and then I had to go and ruin it with my outburst."

"Really, don't worry about it," Touma insisted, "At this point, I'm used to misfortune like that. Besides, I still had fun today."

"But that's the problem!" Mikoto argued, "The point of going to the carnival was to get you away from your misfortune, and I messed it up in the end!"

At this point, Mikoto was so upset with herself that she buried her face into the Gekota plushie, just to avoid eye contact. Never one to still by and watch someone be sad, Touma looked around the park before he noticed an ice cream vender not too far away. The sight gave him an idea, and a reminder of something he read in his journal regarding his lost friend Yuri, prompting him to stand up and speak to the vender.

When he got back, Touma tapped Mikoto's shoulder, urging her to look up. When she did, she saw Touma holding a shareable popsicle, offering her the second stick.

"Don't worry so much. You can't let one bad egg ruin the whole carton," Touma smiled, "Today's misfortune means nothing when I spent the rest of it with you. You should be happy. I really did have a good time."

Mikoto stared at Touma and the popsicle for a moment before grabbing the other stick.

"Thanks," Mikoto replied, returning the smile.

She pulled at her stick to break apart the two halves. However, the popsicle did not break as intended, giving Mikoto the top half of Touma's popsicle in addition to her own. The two students looked at the popsicles for a second before exchanging a look of disbelief. After a moment of silence, they both let out a small, good natured laugh. Touma then took his seat next to Mikoto as they enjoyed each other's company and their unevenly divided treat. Today was not so bad.

* * *

 **Glad to finally get this chapter finished. Lots of set up and references in this one.**

 **If you couldn't tell, I made loads of references to Carnival Phantasm. If you couldn't, how? They were so blatant! That thing with the disclaimer was put in since I'm still on the bench as to whether or not I should make a crossover between this continuity I've created and the Nasuverse since the laws are inherently different and I'm not sure how to got about it. As for other things I've referenced, the popsicle scene was inspired by an animated short titled "Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou," a story about the meeting of an unlucky boy and a lucky girl. Give it a watch, it's a really touching story for a four minute short.**

 **I also referenced a couple of my other fanfics and some that I've read on this site. If you've read my story, "A Certain Level 5's Best Friend," then the reference to that is obvious. Giving Touma an older sister is a reference to a fanfic I've read, one posted only a month or two ago. If you can find it, you'll know who I've decided to make Touma's older sister. Tell me your guesses in the reviews.**

 **Well, that's it for this chapter. See you all next time! Leave a review if you like!**

 **Freedom!**


	19. LPD Emergency

**I'm not dead! Remember what I said about me updating at irregular intervals? This is what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, I have admittedly lackluster planning skills, so my time management has been a mess. It also didn't help that my original plans for this chapter evolved to a much greater scale than what I originally had planned. Still, this chapter went from just a fun little filler chapter to one that actually expands on the plotlines I created. In that case, it's all good, I guess.**

 **I'm surprised that only one person even attempted to guess who Touma's sister was. guess I won't reveal it here. I'll keep that a surprise.**

 **Here it is everyone, the chapter you were all waiting weeks for. But before we get to that, let's do a little Q &A!**

 **Willgm: Congradulations for attempting to guess. Don't worry, you'll learn who she is eventually.**

 **mohamadstar94: Glad you liked it. No, it was not an indirect kiss. The Popsicle broke in half, just unevenly.**

 **MrQuestionMark: What can I say, I love references, interconnected plots, and slice of life. They're like my ultimate happiness elixir. The thing with Touma's sister was something I came up with after remembering a story I read. I figured it would be a good way to really shake up the story and make it unique.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: I didn't steal you Unlimited Ship Works. Don't you know how Field Spells work? I just played my own copy for me to control! Regardless, I activate my Counter Trap, Giga Imagine Breaker! When my opponent and I are in control of different copies of the same Field Spell and my opponent attacks me directly while I have monsters on the field, I negate the effects and abilities of all other cards on the field and the attack. Then, you take the damage I would have taken if the attack had landed! (Man, these references really are getting out of hand.) Glad you liked all the original content. I would think you would know who the old friend is by now, I haven't exactly been subtle. I actually have read your Nasuverse crossovers. They were what got me into it in the first place. Here's a theory for you, what if Imagine Breaker is the condensed essence of Gaia itself, and the Dragon King is the condensed essence of Alaya itself? After all, Gaia slowly degrades the works of magicraft and Imagine Breaker seems to suppress the Dragon King. Interesting theory, eh?**

 **ahsoei: That's for me to know and for you to find out.**

 **Bluejack222: Glad you liked the chapter. Now that I think about it, he would make the mistake of setting up multiple appointments without realizing they overlapped. Who knows, I might do something with that in the future.**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: Hey man, I personally don't have a problem with them. I'm just leaving their punishments up to interpretations so they can be as tame or as brutal as the reader wants them to be. Just go ham with your imagination if that makes you happy.**

 **RedSS: I don't know man. I'm just pulling these quotes from the Carnival Phantasm Tiger Dojos. Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **5waydragon: Who knows? I planned a lot of this story ahead of time, but I mostly write this as I go while keeping continuity. Like Scott Cawthon with FNAF. Sorry, missed that earlier question. I using the anime as my base since it is more accessible so I don't remember anything about a failsafe. Well, Mikoto needs some leads first. How she's going to get them, I have no idea.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Yeah, I like phluff too.**

 **RPGPersona: Don't worry, they all move out eventually. She is a giant bug zapper, so not exactly subtle. The whole chapter was meant to be a feel good chapter, so feel good! You know what they say, for want of a nail. Lots of stuff can change because of this one revelation.**

 **RareSilver: References are my life, especially the funny ones. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out. I've been setting Yuri up since like chapter 3 and I have not been subtle in the slightest. I really wanted to create a sort of character drama situation between all of the characters with upcoming reveals. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm Kamikoto trash. Don't worry, I reveal the sister in good time. Thanks for being so understanding with the slow updates.**

 **Guest (1): Sorry for the wait. The sister will be revealed soon enough.**

 **Guest (2): Don't worry. The Sisters Arc is the arc I am most excited about. Rest assured, I will be pulling all the stops from that point forward if I haven't been doing so already.**

 **Guest (3): Yup.**

 **linkstore49: I figured I kept everyone waiting on divergences long enough, so I decided to drop a big one here. The sad thing about this story is that most of the divergences don't take full effect until the Sisters Arc, and that's a long time coming. Still, I hope you enjoy what I have in store for the future.**

 **Kim454: I'm surprised your only figuring this out now. I set up the Accelerator thing all the way back in like chapter 3 and been building it up since. That scene was the whole crux of my theory and headcanon. That's what this chapter and the next are for. Thanks for the concern with all the extra reviews.**

 **Guest (4): Thank You!**

 **Guest (5): I'd have to disagree. He forgot his own name, so forgetting that of his friend is even more likely.**

 **Generation Zero: I was trying to give off the idea that the girls let it go since Touma didn't make a big deal of it either and Styil provided an explanation that could explain such an unscientific occurrence. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Just keep guessing. Misaki will appear soon enough, just not sure when.**

 **LZWriter: That's some rather high praise, thank you!**

 **School (Guest): I don't remember much about SCHOOL, so probably not. Most characters will show up when they show up. You just got to wait and see.**

 **Now, disclaimer time!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 19: LPD Emergency

It was late and Touma was exhausted after the day he's had. Despite not having Judgement work that day, he still ran into a lot of trouble and his personal and profession obligations forced his hand. The day was so painful he didn't want to think about everything that had happened. If anyone were to ask him about what went down, he would just say the main accident involved an earthquake, a run-away ice cream cart, and several unruly students and leave it at that.

All Touma wanted to do was get back to his dorm and sleep the rest of the day away as to wipe it from his memory. Unfortunately, fate had other plans of him the moment he stepped out of the elevator.

"Yo, Kami!" Tsuchimikado greeted as the elevator door opened.

"Perfect timing, man!" Aogami cheered next to his fellow idiot.

"What do you two want?" Touma asked, clearly not in the mood for his friends' antics.

"Don't be like that," Aogami said cheerfully before suddenly become serious, "This is a dire situation."

"We got a call on the Delta Force Hotline," Tsuchimikado added in the same tone as his compatriot, "It's a LPD emergency."

Touma suddenly straightened up at the sound of the code name.

"No kidding?" Touma asked with a determined look in his eyes.

"We'd never kid about this," the Siscon Sergeant confirmed.

"The client is still on the line," the blue hair teen noted.

"Show me," Touma demanded.

The Delta Force quickly made their way into Tsuchimikado's dorm where they sat down around the table. On the center of the table was a single, black home telephone with a red triangle drawn on the face of the base. The phone was currently on hold, but the call immediately resumed once Tsuchimikado pressed the appropriate button.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, miss," Tsuchimikado apologized, "The entire Delta Force is now present and ready to take your request."

" _It was no problem at all_ ," a very familiar voice said on the other end of the line, " _I figured the last member of your team would run into some difficulties getting to your head office._ "

"Pigtails? Is that you?" Touma asked, recognizing the voice, "What are you doing calling the Delta Force Hotline?"

A while ago, Touma told his Judgement friends about the side business he and the rest of the Delta Force often got involved in. They were curious about his odd choice in friends, so he figured he would explain their side business in depth to give them an idea of what kind of antic the three idiot high school boys got themselves into out of brotherly comradery. Touma even told the girls about the phone number the Delta Force use to take requests for their side business, but he never expected any of his friends to actually call it.

" _Let's keep things professional for the time being_ ," Kuroko insisted, " _As for why I'm calling, you should know already. I have a job for you three and it is one of your highest priority type of jobs._ "

"Does this involve Zapper?" Touma asked flatly.

" _Not at all_ ," Kuroko replied, " _It's much worse. The person I'm making this call for is a woman in her late twenties._ "

The three boys gave each other a look before coming to the same conclusion.

"It's worse then we though," they all agreed in unison.

" _You three interested in the job?_ " Kuroko asked, her voice oozing with confidence.

* * *

The next day, the Delta Force arrived at Asunaro Park Children's Orphanage in District 13. As they approached the Child Error facility, Touma couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Something about the area just resonated with him. Despite his missing memories, he couldn't help but feel like the orphanage had a special place in his heart. He wasn't a Child Error; that was for sure. So, why did the area feel so familiar?

Regardless, the trio of high school boys met up with the rest of Touma's friends from Judgement, as well as the client that Kuroko told them about. Everyone save for Kuroko was surprised to see the other party present. The client, the dorm manager for Mikoto and Kuroko's dorm building, was particularly surprised. It was clear that she was a bit skeptical about their presence.

"Shirai," the dorm manager asked slowly, "why are these three boys here?"

"They're the professionals I told you about," Kuroko explained proudly.

"Please, allow use to introduce ourselves," Tsuchimikado injected, gesturing for Kuroko to stop.

"Please don't tell me we're doing the thing," Touma begged.

"Oh, we're doing the thing," Aogami confirmed.

"The thing?" the girls asked in confusion.

Letting their actions speak for themselves, the Delta Force took a step back and lined up, side-by-side. Touma stood in the center with Tsuchimikado to his right and Aogami to his left. The blonde quickly whipped out his phone and started playing a recording of a steady, jazz beat. Tsuchimikado then struck a pose, holding his right elbow in his left hand and gently covered his right eye with his right hand.

"I am the brains of the operation," he said, "The man with the plan, Motohara Tsuchimikado."

Aogami followed suit with a similar pose. The only difference being that he held his chin in his right hand rather than cover his already closed eyes.

"I am soul of the group," he said, "The gal game guru and expert on the second dimension, Peirce Aogami."

"And of course, the heart of the team," Tsuchimikado followed up, gesturing towards the center boy with his left arm.

"The man that makes the impossible, possible," Aogami added, doing the same with his right arm.

"The tenacious god incarnate," both boys said simultaneously, "Touma Kamijou!"

The unlucky boy crossed his left arm behind his back and his right arm over his chest and bowed slightly.

"We are the ultimate team in the match making business," Touma said.

"We are," all three boys said in sync, turning away from their audience before quickly spinning back around, snapping their figures and pointing to the girls in one last pose, "the Delta Force!"

The group remained standing like that in silence for a few seconds before they were interrupted by some gentle applause. Turning to the sound of the clapping, the Tokiwadai residents were surprised to see that Saten and Uiharu were the source.

"What?" Saten defended, "They had good showmanship."

"Man, I hate doing that," Touma complained, "At least some people find it enjoyable."

"Anyway, ma'am, you can trust in us to make sure you find happiness in your love life," Tsuchimikado explained.

"The three of use are masters of gal games and know everything there is to know about making couples," Aogami added, "Our success rate is incredibly high, and our fees are none existent. You have no risks when utilizing our services."

"Of course, we realize that you may still be skeptical," the blonde continued, "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them."

"I am curious about one thing," the dorm manager admitted.

"Ask away," Touma insisted.

"You said your name was Kamijou, right?" she asked, earning a nod "Do you have any relationship to Touya Kamijou?"

"You knew my father?" Touma replied, clearly shocked by the revelation.

"My older sister went to the same high school as him," the woman explained, "He had many girls swarming after him back then, my sister included. Of course, you fiercely competitive mother won out in the end. If you are indeed his son, I suppose you would know a thing or two about romance, albeit unconsciously. I guess I can leave my love life in your hands."

"Thanks, I guess," Touma replied awkwardly.

"However, make me look bad and I'll have Shirai's head," the dorm manager quickly added, causing Touma and Kuroko to gulp in fear.

"Dear god," Aogami whispered.

"Kami Disease is hereditary," Tsuchimikado noted.

"Would you two shut up about that already!" Touma yelled in exasperation, "How many times do I have to tell you idiots that that disease doesn't exist?!"

"I'll be honest. I didn't think you three would be so willing to help a stranger," the dorm manager admitted.

"I'm more surprised she was actually willing to let these idiots help," Mikoto whispered to her friends.

"She did threaten them afterwards," Uiharu noted.

"Don't be. This is the norm for Kami over here," Tsuchimikado pointed out.

"Besides, this is a high priority job, a LPD Emergency," Aogami added.

"LPD Emergency?" the girls asked.

"Lost Pairing Delta!" two thirds of the Delta Force cheered.

Everyone else could only laugh stiffly at the boys' enthusiasm.

With introductions out of the way, the group entered the orphanage where they met with the Child Errors, the facility's director, and the object of the dorm manager's affections, Daigo. Upon meeting the mystery man, the Delta Force gave him a quick once over. From what they could tell form a few glances, he was a very suitable man. Hardworking, a kind demeanor, and decent looking, it was not hard for the Delta Force to see why their client was interested in him.

As the group introduced themselves to their charges for the day, they got a rather unique surprise from the orphanage's director.

"Touma, is that you?" she asked, apparently recognizing the misfortunate high school student.

"Huh?" everyone else replied in confusion.

"I suppose you wouldn't recognize me," the director, Kazuko Shigenomori, giggled, "It has been a couple of years since you moved out and started living on your own."

"Kamijou used to live here, Miss Shigenomori?" Uiharu asked.

"I thought this was a Child Error facility. Kamijou still contacts his parents regularly, so he can't be a child error," Kuroko pointed out.

"That's true, but Child Errors aren't the only children we take care of here," the director explained, "We also take in students that are too young to take care of themselves. When Touma and his sister first arrived in Academy City, they lived here for their first few years."

"You never told use you had a sister," Saten said, "How come we've never met her?"

"I'll tell you about her some other time," Touma replied, waving off the topic, "Besides, we have a job to do, so we best get started."

"Always eager to help. You haven't changed a bit, Touma," Shigenomori laughed, "In that case, I'll leave you to it. If you need any help or you don't understand anything, just ask."

Waving goodbye, Shigenomori and Daigo went off to another corner of the orphanage to take care of some other business. As soon as the pair was out of hearing range, the dorm manager dragged Kuroko and the Delta Force into a group huddle. She looked over her shoulders one last time before addressing the students.

"Okay, so what do you have planned?" she asked in a desperate tone.

"In my gal game experience, nothing brings a couple closer together than sharing the experience of creating something together," Aogami explained.

"My research also shows me that we have a couple of birthdays today," Tsuchimikado added, "Thus, we had Kami bring along one of his greatest cake recipes. Kami, if you would?"

Reaching into his back pocket, Touma pulled out a folded sheet of printer paper. Opening it up, he presented the group with a cake recipe of his own design. The girls recognized this recipe as the cake recipe that he prepares for Index once every week in order to pacify her more violent tendencies in the event of an emergency. Although the cake used cheap and simple ingredients, they came together to create a pastry that had the power to bring joy to anyone's taste buds.

"The deceivingly simple ingredient list makes for an equally simple baking process," Touma explained, "This recipe of my own creation will surely give the two of you a blissful experience with one another and surely help to convey your feeling for him."

"Nice going!" Kuroko cheered.

'Who knew these guys were such the romantics,' the rest of the girls thought to themselves.

Within a few minutes, the Delta Force had gotten the dorm manager set up in the kitchen with all of the supplies she and Daigo would need. Touma took the liberty of handing his recipe over the Daigo and telling him about their plans for a birthday party. The teacher bought everything Touma said and quickly went to the kitchen to help. Everything was going according to plan.

"Looks like everything is going smoothly," Touma commented as he rejoined the group.

"Yup, Operation: Fruits of Love is going perfectly!" Aogami cheered.

"I thought we agreed we wouldn't call it that!" Touma suddenly yelled.

"What if something happens to mess the plan up?" Saten asked in concern.

"Don't worry. We have contingencies," Tsuchimikado grinned, "We wouldn't be professionals if we didn't."

"Can you really call yourselves professionals if you don't charge anyone for your services?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"Our payment is a job well done!" Aogami cut in, "Regardless, if something goes wrong with the cake, I'll just take them to the café I'm crashing at to pick one up."

"They still get to spend time together and get a cake for their efforts," Tsuchimikado added, "Talk about having your cake and eating it too."

"Still, I can't help but feel like we're overlooking something," Touma said, holding his chin.

"Hey, big brothers and big sisters!" one of the children called out as they ran towards the group of older students, "Come play with us!"

"Are they what you forgot?" Uiharu asked.

"No, we planned for them," Aogami denied.

"We already decided to have Kami and Misaka in charge of entertaining the kids," Tsuchimikado added.

"Why am I a part of your plans?!" Mikoto asked in shock.

"I'm sure it will come to us eventually," Touma said as he grabbed a few of the kids' hands, "Come on, Misaka, let's show these kids a good time."

"O-okay," Mikoto stuttered as she nervously followed the group outside.

The remaining students silently watched as their friends led the children outside to play. As soon as the pair was out of hearing range, the girls turned towards the boys and gave them looks ranging from suspicious to knowing.

"You paired those two together on purpose, didn't you?" all three girls accused.

"No comment," the boys replied with cheeky grins.

"Good grief," Kuroko sighed, "You idiots can really take your job way to seriously.

"So, what now?" Uiharu asked.

"Now, we wait on standby," Tsuchimikado said with deadly seriousness.

* * *

Outside, Touma, Mikoto, and the children were playing a game of tag. The two older students of the group kept at a slower pace as to keep the game fair. Everyone ran back and forth, laughing their heads off as they played. Anyone with a heart could tell that the Child Errors were having a great time, something that Touma and Mikoto took solace in.

However, the game was soon interrupted when Shigenomori came by.

"Alright everyone, that enough of that for now," she called out in a calm, motherly voice, "We're having a birthday party for Meg and Kei, so I want all of you to make cards for them."

"Okay!" all the kids cheered.

"Misaka, could keep an eye on them for a minute?" the older woman asked, "I need to have a word with Kamijou."

"Sure," Mikoto replied with a nod, "Come on, kids, let's go inside and make some birthday cards."

"I'll catch up with you in a bit," Touma promised.

"I'll hold you to that," Mikoto called back.

As soon as the kids were back inside the building, Touma turned to face the orphanage director that asked to talk to him.

"Did you need something, Miss Shigenomori?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she replied, "I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to help out here today."

"Well, you know me," Touma chuckled, "Always helping people."

"Oh, I remember," the director smiled, "You were always such a big help here back then. I'm sure your sister would have been proud to see you still helping others."

"Yeah," Touma agreed, smiling sadly at the ground.

It was times like these that Touma really wished his journal was a bit more complete. All of his memories were lost the night he saved Index, yet only so many were preserved in the book he wrote in regularly. He just wished he could at least remember his sister's face. What kind of little brother was he to not include a picture of her in his journal?

"It really is a shame she disappeared," Shigenomori continued, "I remember that day like it was yesterday."

* * *

 ** _10 Years Ago_**

"Miss Shigenomori?" the six-year-old Touma asked, "Isn't Shizuri going to eat with us?"

Everyone in the orphanage was seated at the dinner table, ready for supper. The orphanage's director looked down upon the young boy sitting next to her as he stared at her with pleading eyes. To the boy's right was a single empty seat, the seat normally occupied by the boy's older sister.

Touma had come home late that day after a string of unfortunate accidents. By the time he had gotten back to the facility, it was time for everyone to eat. He had yet to learn the sad news about his only family he had at the orphanage after their parents sent them to Academy City to get away from their home town's superstitions. Shigenomori knew she had to tell the boy sooner or later. She just wished she didn't have to tell him like this.

"No," Shigenomori replied, "your sister isn't joining us tonight."

"Did she do something wrong?" Touma asked.

"No, nothing like that," the director hesitantly answered, "She's just not going to be able to eat with us tonight."

"She's eating with us tomorrow, right?" Touma asked again.

Shigenomori sighed in defeat. The moment she rued ever since that unfortunate event.

"No, Kamijou," she admitted, putting down her chopsticks, "your sister won't be able to join us for any meals from now on."

"W-what?" Touma stuttered in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Before you got home, a group of men from the city came by," the older woman explained, "They wanted to study your sister's ability up close and needed to take her to live at a separate facility. At least, that's what they told me. They gathered her belongings, removed any traces of her living here, and drove her away in a limousine. She's not here anymore."

Touma just stared at the director in complete silence. The table itself had gone silent as well, save for the whispers of the children that overheard the news.

"His own sister left him behind?"

"Talk about unlucky."

"I bet his own rotten luck drove her away."

"Wasn't she always super protective?"

"Maybe she finally got tired of helping him."

These whispers did not fall on deaf ears. Touma heard every single one and refused to even consider the possibility that anything he heard in the least few minutes were true. Without a word, Touma rushed away from the table and ran into the sleeping quarters. He quickly approached his sister's bed, only to find that it was completely clear of any personal belongings. Still refusing to believe it, he turned face and ran straight out of the building, not even bothering to put on his shoes.

Ignoring the pain of running without any footwear, he ran down the street, calling out for his sister. He would not believe it. He refused to believe it! His sister would not just abandon him like that! She had always looked after him and promised she always would. It was the whole reason she came to Academy City at all. He would find her. He had to find her.

Eventually, his feet just couldn't carry him any further. They were bruised, and bleeding form the continuous running. Touma collapsed onto his knees, unable to continue. He sat there crying, bemoaning his own misfortune at his apparent abandonment.

The tears were interrupted when he felt a jacket drop over his shoulders. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Shigenomori looking at him with sad eyes and downcast lips. She held him close, doing whatever she could to comfort the unfortunate boy. When he calmed down, the woman picked him up in her arms and took her to the nearest hospital, specifically that of a certain frog faced doctor, to get his feet treated.

* * *

 ** _Present Day_**

"You had such a hard time after your sister disappeared," Shigenomori said, "The rumors you were trying to escape from only followed you with her disappearance."

"Maybe, but I'd say I'm doing pretty good for myself," Touma argued.

"Of course," the older woman agreed, "Your kindness to others improved your reputation immensely, especially among the girls. I see that still holds true now."

"Come on, I get enough of that from Tsuchimikado and Aogami," Touma chuckled.

"Regardless, it's good to have you back and we'd love to have you over again some other time," the director said with a smile, "If you ever need anything, know that our doors are open."

"Thanks, Miss Shigenomori," Touma replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Now, how about we go and help the children make some birthday cards?" Shigenomori suggested.

"You know me, always willing to help," Touma joked as the followed his former caretaker into the building.

* * *

A little while later, everyone had gathered in the orphanage's dining room for the birthday party. The kids all sat at the table while the volunteers stood on the side. As the children began to dig in, Aogami, Saten and Uiharu recounted to events of their trip to the café when plan A inevitably failed.

"It ended up being a big ordeal," Uiharu explained.

"First, we went the wrong way, then we got chased by a dog, and nearly fell into the river," Saten listed.

"How did that even happen?" Mikoto asked, "You were just buying a cake."

"Seriously, I'd expect that kind of stuff to happen when Kami is involved," Tsuchimikado noted.

"Don't blame me, it was the client," Aogami defended, "She was so stiff and love-struck that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going."

"Well, at least they seem closer now," Touma pointed out.

"Look at that, they're being all lovey-dovey!" one of the children yelled, pointing towards the dorm manager and Daigo.

"Case and point," Touma said with a smirk as everyone else laughed at the adult's expense.

"Hey, you shouldn't be teasing grown-ups like that!" the dorm manager yelled in embarrassment as she turned around.

"That's just silly," Daigo chuckled, "For one thing, I'm sure your big sister would have no interest in me at all."

"So, what would be your ideal woman, Mr. Daigo?" Tsuchimikado asked.

"Let me think," Daigo replied, "Someone I could respect, I suppose."

"And what would require?" Aogami followed up.

"Well, someone who puts the needs of others before her own," the teacher explained, causing the dorm manager to blush.

"So basically, a female Kami," Tsuchimikado joked.

"Not funny," Touma cut in, ignoring the laughter being redirected at him.

However, the festivities were suddenly interrupted by a surprise earthquake. Noticing the danger, the dorm manager quickly composed herself and ordered everyone under the table. Everyone did as they were told, with the older students taking care to usher the Child Errors under the table. However, Touma noticed out of the corner of his eye that one of the kids had started running around the room in a panic. The young boy eventually tripped and landed in the path of a falling pitcher.

Reacting quickly, Touma used his right hand to push himself off the ground in an attempt to protect the boy from the falling object. However, he hesitated when he heard the faint sound of glass shattering as he touched the ground, a sound that went unnoticed by everyone else in all the panic. That moment of hesitation cost him, making him unable to get to the boy in time. Touma was just glad that the dorm manager took charge and was able to save the boy in his place.

"As it stopped?" Saten asked, noticing the shaking starting to subside.

"We've had a lot of these lately," Uiharu noticed, "thankfully, it was small."

Touma was mostly oblivious to the conversation. He didn't even care that the Delta Force's client was making progress with Mr. Daigo thanks to her display of heroism. His biggest concern at the moment was his right hand. As soon as he touched the ground, Imagine Breaker went off and the shaking had stopped. Something had happened for Imagine Breaker to go off when he touched the ground. The only question was what that something was.

* * *

Later that night, the Delta Force was called in for espionage when Kuroko informed them that Daigo had called the dorm manager out to Jona Garden. The group of students hid behind a set of pillars just a few tables away from the two adults. The girls looked on with excitement while the boys did so with a sense of professionalism. Based on the girls' observations, they suspected it was a proposal in progress. However, the idiot trio knew better than that.

In every gal game they've collectively played, the Delta Force had never run into a scenario were the player character proposed to a girl the same day that he earned her affections. That was the beauty of gal games, they created romantic fantasies that at the same time remained feasible. Daigo proposing to the dorm manager was just too much of a fantasy. There was no way a sensible man like Daigo would just propose to someone out of the blue like that. Not to mention the fact that the Delta Force still felt like they were forgetting something, like they had overlooked some crucial detail.

As they watched, the Delta Force confirmed their suspicions that it was not a proposal. However, they did confirm that Daigo was asking about the implications of marrying someone with a considerable age gap. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe he was going to propose.

Regardless, the girls saw it fit to congratulate the dorm manager in person. They group outran the lucky lady and beat her to the Tokiwadai dorm building in order to surprise her. When the surprise was sprung, she did not react in the slightest, as if still stunned form the prospect of Daigo proposing. She asked for someone to pinch her cheek as to make sure she was not dream. Touma took the liberty of doing so, making sure to use his right hand as to remove any supernatural illusions that might have been cast on her. Confirming that it was all real, the dorm manager asked the students for one last favor.

* * *

The next day, the students gave the dorm manager a total make over. She wanted to give Daigo a proper answer, and to do that, she needed to look her best. After a quick trip to Seventh Mist, she was dressed in a new white blouse, black skirt, fresh make-up, and no glasses.

Once they arrived at the orphanage, the students hid behind a bush just beyond the fence and watched as the two grown-ups talked.

"I can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you today," Daigo observed.

"Um, about our conversation the other night…," the dorm manager said.

"Yes," the teacher replied, "I really appreciated that. I finally have the courage I need and it's all thanks to you."

Daigo took out a small, black, jewelry box. He opened it, presenting the love-struck woman with a silver ring adorned with violet jewels.

"Oh, what's this?" she asked.

"I'm going to propose to my girlfriend," Daigo confessed.

"Girlfriend?" the dorm manager asked in surprise.

"Girlfriend?!" the Delta Force quietly screamed, barely kept quite by the middle school girls.

"That's right," Daigo replied, closing the box and looking in Shigenomori's direction.

"And your girlfriend is…," the dorm manager guessed, following Daigo's gaze.

"Yes," Daigo admitted, "I was nervous, but then you said age doesn't matter as long as you respect the person, and you were right. I can't tell you how grateful I am to you."

"Sure. It's no problem. I'm glad I could help," the heart broken woman replied with a smile, masterfully masking her disappointment, "Congratulations. I wish you all the best."

Daigo stood up and gave her one last thank you before rejoining Shigenomori and the Child Errors. The dorm manager remained still for a moment before reaching into her purse. Finding what she was looking for, she put her glasses back on and stood up to join everyone else. Even if she was rejected without letting her feelings be known, she could at least be there for the children who cared for her so much.

Back behind the bush, the students were disappointed by the turn of events. However, none were more disappointed than the Delta Force, who were all crouched to the ground in a circle, gripping their heads in frustration.

"Damn it, I knew we were forgetting something," Tsuchimikado growled.

"How could we forget the worse pitfall in the history of gal games?" Aogami asked himself.

"I can't believe we fell for the classic misdirect!" Touma yelled, "Rotten luck!"

"This is all your fault, Kami!" Tsuchimikado screamed, grabbing Touma's shirt, "She's your old caretaker! You should have known this was a pointless endevour from the beginning! Do you have amnesia or something?!"

"What are you talking about!" Touma argued, "How am I supposed to know that she was his girlfriend?! I don't go around knowing everything about other people's love lives!"

"Yes, you do!" Aogami yelled, grabbing the opposite side of Touma's shirt, "It's your job! It's what we do for a living!"

The two members of the Delta Force proceeded to shake the third member back and forth, bringing him close to passing out. It took the combined efforts of all four girls to get Touma free from his friends' punishment. It had truly been an eventful forty-eight hours.

* * *

 **I hope you all liked that chapter.**

 **Lots of references this chapter. Some Power Rangers SPD here, some Carnival Phantasm and Ginyu Force there, lots of references.**

 **This chapter was supposed to be just a funny chapter, but I ended up writing a rather heavy part in. I had just finished watching Angel Beats before writing this chapter, so I had a bit of pained feels I needed to vent. I actually nearly teared up writing that flashback. Also, lots of additional backstory for Touma!**

 **Did you catch the name of Touma's sister? It was blink and you'll miss it, so you better had been paying attention!**

 **Tell me what you all think in a review. See you all next time!**

 **Go! The answer is Fifty! Eighty! Absolutely!**


	20. Behind Closed Doors

**STILL NOT DEAD!**

 **Dang it, nearly a whole month without an update? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! Seriously though, sorry about the wait. I'm just a college student at the time I'm writing this, and college is just plain hard! Not to mention I also have a part-time job with inconsistent work days. I haven't had that much time to write recently without possible suffering insomnia, so I was only able to write this recently because of spring break. Admittedly, I was also distracted by Fate/Grand Order. I can't help it the game is addicting. It especially didn't help when I rolled Edmond Dantes in only two summon tickets on the first day of the Vengeful Demon's Wail at the Prison Tower Event. That just really hyped me up for the game. But, in the words of Edmond Dantes himself, Wait and hope.**

 **Anyway, I've noticed that the last chapter was particularly polarizing, especially with the reveal, so I'll rectify my decision here and now. The twist of having Shizuri being Touma's was for three reasons. First, it was a reference to a fanfic I read a while back, called** My Little Brother **, a fanfic that many of you brought to my attention in your reviews, which makes me wonder just how many of you actually read the opening and ending cards. Second, Shizuri has the same hair color as Shiina Kamijou, creating some sort of base for the idea. Third, the contradiction personalities is exactly why I had this set up. She is the last person people would expect to be Touma's sister, at least without looking at who the mother would be. I was going for a relationship similar to that of the Orimuras in Infinite Stratos, the competent, cold, and occasionally scary older sister and the kindhearted, borderline idiotic, househusband-esque younger brother. Still, to each their own. I can see why some of you dislike this decision.**

 **Any who, Q &A time!**

 **Qrow454: To each their own. I'm sure the encounter will surprise you.**

 **Darkdeath12: That's kind of the whole reason for him getting involved in the first place, isn't it?**

 **Willgm: Thanks for the review. I'll be honest, that spelling error was completely unintentially and just an example of my poor proof reading. My writing teachers tell me to improve on it all the time, but stuff just always slips by, mainly because I fix most things as I write them, so stuff that I miss the first time is easily missed the second time.**

 **MrQuestionMark: There's no point in the freedom to write how you please if you can't use the power for ill! My cheeky side reigns supreme in these situations! I can totally agree with the Delta Force, equal parts lovable and hateble. Love to hate and hate to love. Glad to know you're so understanding.**

 **ahsoei: Eh, I try. You could say I have a Chekhov's Blade Works.**

 **AriaTheLostMelody: Thanks. Indeed she is. Had to make you all work for it if you wanted to know, at least until then next chapter when I spill the beans in the author's notes.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Who doesn't think Delta Force antics are fun?**

 **Bluejack222: Good eye! This is the last filler chapter before getting into Poltergeist Arc, so enjoy the good feels while you can.**

 **superblal: You and me both, good sir. You and me both.**

 **mhamadstar94: Thanks!**

 **RedSS: Yes, it is Shizuri. Look it up. Yeah, Angle Beats was one hell of a ride, or should I say purgatory. Bad jokes aside, Touma didn't tell the Delta Force about his amnesia. Just like in canon, he will not reveal it to anyone unless they figure it out themselves in order to maintain a sense of normalcy for them.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Nice to see we put that battle to an end. Good eye in noticing the name. If you noticed, that was the only instance of the name showing up in the entire chapter. I couldn't help it with the fluff and feels. I just needed to vent! Nice to see I have a compatriot. Sorry to make you wait so long.**

 **ConnivingG: Sorry to keep you waiting again. Guess that means my twist really did come out of left field. Though if you look back, I'm sure you'd find plenty of hints towards it.**

 **UA1991: ...Really wish I knew what language you wrote in...**

 **linkstore49: Yes! My sense of humor is not stale! There is a god! I do love me some plot hooks. I'd like to think my inner world is a Chekhov's Blade Works. Well, if that's your opinion on Meltdowner, you'll be happy to know that she will have much more significance this time around. Social power for the win!**

 **teamxcution: You'll just have to wait and see. Mikoto's reaction to and vice versa Shizuri will vary depending on who finds out the truth first, so that will be a treat. I have special plans for Angel Fall and Silent Party so Touma can participate in both. Of course Touma is going to beat Accelerator. Who else is going to do it?**

 **ALostBlueIdiot: I was actually going more of an Afterschool Alleyway Alliance from Carnival Phantasm reference, but seeing as they were the least memorable part of that show, it kind of turned into a Ginyu Force reference. Unfortunately, I can only refernce works that I know in some reasonable capacity, so God Only Knows was not really an option. So little is known about Aogami that a prefer not to make assumptions about his character. I just leave things open ended so the reader can decide for themselves.**

 **Kim454: Wow, you were not kidding when you said you had an Unlimited Reviews Works. I already explained my reasons for Shizuri up top. Resonance seemed like a direct effect of supernatural phenomenon to me, so I had Imagine Breaker work on it for storytelling reasons. Index and Mikoto's relationship is much healthier here, so nicknames might not show up with them. Index might to it as a quirk in the future, but I haven't found much for Index to do recently. No reference to a certain unlucky Lancer. The pike is just an appropriately nonlethal weapon. Yes, I'm following the timeline and swinging between arcs. Kind of necessary to mesh the two sides of the overall story together. Thanks for the tip with the Nasuverse. I might actually write that crossover once I come up with a decent concept. I'll be sure to include Magic Side interpretations of the Poltergeist.**

 **guerilla sam: I take it you liked that twist.**

 **SierreB312: Eh, to each their own. Don't worry about my research, I've been covering all bases since day one.**

 **GhostofTime: Twists! Twists create tornadoes, which turn into shit storms! And this is going to be one hell of a shit storm for Touma in the future!**

 **Agent Nine: Easy man, it's all about absurdity. Eventually, things get so absurd that people just accept it and go with the flow since there is no point in trying to rationalize it. Besides, the dorm manager was desperate and Kuroko seemed like the kind of person to cross the line when things got desperate. Still, glad you found the chapter funny.**

 **RPGPersona: Looks like someone didn't look hard enough last chapter. The name is there, just very well hidden and appearing only once. Of course, you already know if you read the top of the author's note. I just love Delta Force antics, they're hilarious! And references man, references make my world go around. I wanted to expand on the universe a bit. There are so many children wandering the streets of Academy City that I had to find some way of rationalizing it. Lots of fluff and trauma for the heart and backstory for the characters; my recipe for a good filler episode/chapter.**

 **YokaiAngel: Glad you liked it!**

 **School (Guest): Glad you liked the twist!**

 **Guest (1): She probably did steal her photo herself, though I will neither confirm nor deny at this point.**

 **Generation Zero: Glad you liked the twist! It's sure to kick up one hell of a shit storm in the future.**

 **Guest (2): Sorry for the long wait... again...**

 **TheCrazyJackalope: Thanks for the review and complements!**

 **Guest (3): Already read it. Was my inspiration.**

 **A certain guest (Guest): That fanfic was the inspiration for the concept. Accelerator is most definitely a boy. Same personality as in canon, but a slight twist on it later down the line. I really need to work on my writing if that misconception is the one that comes up the most.**

 **ADdude: Worry not, my good sir. I don't do misdirects. One of my writing inspirations is Scott Cawthon, so if something is misinterpreted, I make sure to fix it later on. I'd rather not set her up with Touma. Age doesn't matter in a relationship, but I feel like that applied more for after you're out of high school. Contradictory, I know.**

 **shiroryuu012: Weak link, I know, but that's kind of the point.**

 **kagami dhusara: Glad you liked the twist.**

 **So... many... reviews. Reap what you sow, I guess. That's what I get for making you all "wait and hope". Just... run the disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Behind Closed Doors

The streets in front of the Tokiwadai Dormitory were far busier than they normal. People of all sorts were walking straight into the building, a majority of whom were clearly not Tokiwadai students, let alone middle school girls. There was only one day in the entire year when the prestigious girls only middle school opened its dormitory to the public. Today was the Tokiwodai Mid-Summer Festival.

Standing just outside the building were the three girls Uiharu, Saten, and Index. They stood there waiting patiently for their last remaining friend. After receiving invitations from their friends in Tokiwadai, the group had agreed to meet up in front of the building the morning of the festival. Unfortunately, and quite appropriately, the misfortunate high school boy known as Touma Kamijou was running late.

"Oh, what's taking Touma so long?" Index complained.

"Come on, Index, I'm sure he'll be here soon," Uiharu said reassuringly.

"Sorry I'm late!" a familiar voice called out from the crowd.

True to form, Touma came running towards his friends from inside the crowd. As soon as he pushed through, he hutched over and attempted to catch his breath.

"Speak of the devil," Saten mused.

"What took you so long?" Index demanded, clearly not happy with Touma's tardiness.

"Sorry," Touma apologized, rubbing the back of his head, "I stopped to help a kid get her cat out of a tree on the way here. Afterwards, I started getting chased down by the dog that chased the cat up the tree in the first place."

"Your rotten luck at its finest," Saten chuckled.

"Don't remind me," Touma sighed before putting on an optimistic face, "Well, we're all here now. How about we head inside."

"I thought you'd never ask," Uiharu cheered.

Turning face, the students and Index made their way into the building. After presenting their invitations to the students and Anti-Skill in the front, the group found Mikoto and Kuroko in one of their regular arguments in the lobby. Mikoto was in a maid uniform while Kuroko had a digital camera around her neck. It didn't take a Level 5 to know what all the fuss was about.

"You two look like you're having fun," Touma quipped.

Embarrassed by their current state of social indecency, Mikoto quickly let go of Kuroko's cheeks with a stiff laugh.

"I can't thank you enough for inviting us, Shirai," Uiharu gushed, "What an honor. We're here for the exclusive Tokiwadai Middle School Mid-Summer Festival. I can't wait! I'm certain today's festivities will exceed even my wildest imaginations."

"I'm glad you can make it. We won't disappoint," Kuroko stated in a professional tone, "The events we have planned will be memorable. I'm sure you will enjoy everything we have to offer. Now, shall I take you on a tour?"

"Just a minute," a young girl's voice interrupted.

Off to the side was a maid no older than any of the girls in the group. She wore a western style maid uniform consisting of a purple dress with a white apron and headdress. She had black hair with a slight blue tint and eyes of the same color. The maid stood proudly and confidently, yet also gave off a casual aura.

"Shirai, when were you planning on helping us with the buffet?" the maid asked.

"Uh, I guess I must have forgotten," Kuroko replied wearily.

"So, Misaka…," Uiharu trailed.

"Oh, let me introduce you," Mikoto offered, "This is Maika Tsuchimikado from Ryouran Girls Housekeeping School. She and her classmates are helping us out this year. They're overseeing all the food for the festival."

"Oh, I've heard of them," Uiharu realized, "Do they really specialize in training future housekeepers?"

"Indeed, they do," Maika replied with a bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Wait, did you say 'Tsuchimikado'?" Saten asked, "Why do I feel like I've heard that name before?"

"You must have met my stepbrother, Motohara," Maika clarified, "It's not surprising, considering you know Kamijou."

"You're his stepsister?! And you're a maid?!" Saten suddenly yelled.

"That's right," Maika said proudly, "I'm so lucky to have him as an older brother. He's the one that suggested I become a maid."

"Kamijou, are you aware of your friends' tastes in girls?" Uiharu whispered.

"It's not hard with Aogami. He has no preference and loves all types of girls equally," Touma shrugged, "I choose to believe loves maid-little-stepsisters in a brotherly capacity. Key phrase is 'choose to believe'."

"This is so weird," Saten mumbled.

"The whole family is kind of quirky," Touma admitted, "Normally, Maika goes around riding on top of a cleaning robot that is constantly spinning. How she's about to control that thing and not get dizzy, I have no idea."

"Anyway, these are a couple of my friends," Mikoto said, "Kazari Uiharu, Ruiko Saten, and Index."

"Nice to meet you," Saten and Uiharu greeted with a hint of weariness.

"Good to see you again, Maika," Index chimed, earning a few glances from the girls.

"She ran into us when Index came to visit me one day," Touma explained casually, "She was staying with her brother next door, so she treated us to a meal."

"If you need anything, just give me a shout," Maika replied happily before grabbing Kuroko by the back of her collar.

As the group watched the young maid drag their friend away to the kitchen, they couldn't help but let out a stiff laugh as Kuroko protested her current predicament. Seeing as her junior would be unable to give them a tour as promised, Mikoto offered to give them the tour instead.

Handing each of her friends a copy of the event pamphlet, Mikoto gave her friends a minute to look it over. Unsurprisingly, Uiharu demanded to see everything that the festival had to offer. What was surprising was her sudden change in personality. As opposed to the usually quiet and mild-mannered girl they all knew, Uiharu started acting demanding and assertive. The transformation was so drastic that Index opted to hide behind her big brother figure for safety. Touma himself had the urge to touch the flower headed girl with Imagine Breaker, just to make sure nothing supernatural was wrong with her brain.

"I guess we're seeing everything then," Mikoto concluded, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"Actually, there is something I've been meaning to ask," Touma admitted, "What's with the outfit, Zapper? I get you girls are trying to be courteous, but isn't this a bit much?"

"I don't know whether I should be mad at you for pointing it out or glad that someone agrees," Mikoto whined, hutching over in defeat.

"If it makes you feel better, it looks good on you," Touma replied in a weak attempt to apologize.

"Whatever, idiot," Mikoto said, hiding a blush, "Let's just get to the tour. We have a lot to cover."

The festival had an awful lot to offer. There were so many different types of displays, it would take the group the whole day just to see it all. In addition, the particular composition of the group consisting of Touma, Mikoto, Uiharu, Saten, and Index was bound to create some form of antics.

On the first stop, the group toured a room full of statues made entirely out of sugar. While Uiharu admitted the work of the elite students, Saten decided to help herself to a piece of one of the statues, confirming that they were indeed made entirely of sugar. Uiharu attempted to reprimand her friend for just casually eating the statue, but she was drowned out by Touma's struggles to keep Index from jumping at the models to have a taste for herself. Luckily, Mikoto was offered several smaller statues by the girls running the gallery. Seeing as they needed some way to pacify Index's hunger for the time being, Mikoto accepted them and feed them to the hungry nun.

The next stop was a gallery presenting various stitching pieces done by the students of Tokiwadai. The gallery even provided a class to teach guests to perform the craft themselves. Of course, Uiharu roped everyone into the class, her enthusiasm still at max. Each member of the group found themselves with various levels of success. In Touma's case, he didn't have any success at all and constantly pricked his fingers. Index was a least able to do the stitching without hurting herself, but it was still rather lackluster in terms of appearance. Uiharu's was pretty good, a simple sun flower, but paled in comparison to the experienced Saten's sportscar or Tokiwadai resident Mikoto's tuxedo Gekota.

Other exhibits included a gallery of flower arrangements, a western painting display, a piece of calligraphy, a tradition tea ceremony and the dorm's library. For Uiharu, it was a dream come true. She was so engrossed in her Tokiwodai fantasies that she started spitting out speeches and platitudes, elevating the elite girl school's status in her eyes even further. It got so bad that Saten opted to flip Uiharu's skirt in the middle of the hallway to snap her out of it.

"Well, saw that coming," Touma noted flatly.

"I still don't get why she constantly does that," index added

"You're awful, Saten! How could you do that to me here of all places?" Uiharu whined.

"Welcome back," Saten greeted cheerfully, "You were looking so dreamy I had to wake you up."

"I wasn't dreaming, thank you very much! I'm wide awake! And why are Kamijou and Index so relaxed about this?" Uiharu yelled.

"Honestly, it's happened so often that the novelty of it has worn off," Touma shrugged.

"I already have a full archive of your panties in my memory right next to the grimores," Index admitted, "Your skirt has been flipped so many times, I've seen everything you have to offer so it's not even a surprise."

"You're all horrible!" Uiharu cried.

While everyone was laughing at Uiharu's expense, Touma noticed Mikoto off to the side helping another student with her apron. As soon as the apron was on properly, the younger girl turned and gave Mikoto her thanks. Although he couldn't hear what they were saying, Touma could tell that something the other girl said made Mikoto nervous from her stiff body language.

His thoughts were interrupted when Index's stomach growled loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. Mikoto quickly turned to face her friends before checking the clock in the hall. The time was ten minutes past noon, an appropriate enough time to have lunch.

"So, I take you guys are hungry?" Mikoto asked.

* * *

The group soon found themselves in the dorm's dining hall. Guests were all seated and various tables while students were tending to the hall itself. Along the far wall of the room was a long line of tables for the buffet. The buffet itself was extremely varied, offering a wide selection of high quality dishes to choose from.

"That's it, I don't ever want to leave! I'll just have to move in with you!" Uiharu gushed to Mikoto as she filled her plate.

"I'll go look for a seat, alright?" Mikoto replied, excusing herself.

As Mikoto left, Uiharu noticed that Saten was have trouble with a particularly well decorated cake. Upon approaching her friend, Uiharu realized that said cake had yet to be cut. Taking matters into her own hands, the Level 1 Esper grabbed the nearby cake knife and cut the cake herself, much to Saten's horror.

"How could you do that to such an exquisite cake?" the Level 0 asked.

"This coming from someone who didn't twice about popping a sugar statue into her mouth," Uiharu replied as she stacked her plate with at least five, one eighth slices of cake on to her plate.

"How can you possible eat all that cake?" Saten inquired, glaring at Uiharu's plate as she picked up yet another slice of cake.

"They say you have a second stomach for desserts, don't they?" Uiharu argued.

"You might want to reconsider that," Touma interrupted, his own plate already having a decent amount of food.

"Why's that?" the two girls asked in confusion.

Touma simply pointed his thumb over his shoulder, directing the girls' attention to a bloated Tessou. Across from her was Yomikawa and twenty-one empty plates. Not amused by the situation, Yomikawa dragged Tessou away by the back of her Anti-Skill Vest, much to the latter's discomfort.

After that sight, Uiharu silently put back the slice of cake she was about to add to her plate.

"You know, you two sometimes act like a comedy duo that can't decide who's the straight man," Touma mused, "So, any idea where Zapper is?'

"She said she was going to look for seats," Uiharu answered.

"I think I see her over there," Saten pointed, "Along with the dorm manager. Looks like she's with the kids from the orphanage."

As the group approached the table, they overheard something about Mikoto performing for the festival. By the time they got to the table, the dorm manager and the Child Errors had left, leaving Mikoto looking rather depressed. Seeing the signs, Touma decided to stay quiet and not probe the girl for questions, unlike the younger girls present. She was clearly nervous and asking her about it wasn't going to do anyone any favors.

Luckily for Mikoto, Maika arrived on the scene and interrupted to current conversation.

"Hey, Misaka, have you seen Shirai around lately?" Maika asked, carrying two bowls of food.

"Didn't you take her earlier to help you out with the buffet?" Mikoto asked in reply.

"Yeah, but she's not in the kitchen anymore. Little brat must have run away on me," the maid explained, grumbling the last part, "We have a certain heavy eater unattended right now, so we're having trouble keeping food on the table."

"Wait, where's Index?" Saten asked in realization.

"Crap, I knew I shouldn't have left her alone in the buffet!" Touma suddenly yelled, "Maika, where is she?!"

"She's in the other dining hall at the other end of the dorms," Maika replied with a grimance.

"Damn it! Sorry guys, I need to take care of this. I'll meet up with you latter," Touma apologized, "Maika, show me where she is!"

"Right, follow me," the maid said as she leads Touma away, "Oh, and good luck, Misaka!"

The girls could only laugh stiffly as they watched Touma run off to save Index from getting herself into social trouble. Such was the way of the older brother surrogate.

After a quick jog through the dormitory, Touma and Maika found Index stuffing herself silly with several tons of food. Next to her were several stacks of empty plates, all of them stacking dangerously high. Around her table were several Tokiwadai students either placing more food on the table or staring in shock at the nun's stomach capacity. It was a sight that had to be seen to be believed.

Acting quickly, Touma pulled Index away from the table before bowing to the girls and begging for forgiveness on behalf of his charge. He then proceeded to drag her out of the dining hall, lecturing her as they walked through the halls.

"Touma, why did you drag me away from the buffet," Index complained, "They said it was all you can it!"

"We talked about this, that's just an expression!" Touma replied sternly, "We agreed that when we went out to eat, you would only eat in moderation! That was the deal! We would feed you as much as we could with the budget Zapper provides, but when we eat out, you would stay in control and not inhale the restaurant's entire supply! Other people in the restaurant get to eat too! I know you remember that conversation, so what do you have to say for yourself?!"

Index looked Touma in the eyes for a moment before dropping her head and whispering an apology. As much as she loved food, she realizes that she has been causing Touma trouble by constantly eating as much as she does. The only reason he isn't bankrupt at this point is because of Mikoto's funds. She owed everything to Touma and the others. The least she could do make things easier for them.

Seeing as Index had apologized, Touma smiled and pattered her on the head as congratulations and as his own apology for yelling.

With that ordeal taken care of, Touma and Index, explored the dormitory until they noticed their friends gathered outside in the courtyard. They were all seated in front of a stage, most likely the one Mikoto would be performing on. Putting two-and-two together, Touma and Index quickly joined their friends for the show. However, Touma didn't get to stay for long.

Upon sitting down, he realized he dropped his wallet somewhere in the dormitory and had to excuse himself to find it. Luckily, it ended up at the building's lost and found with all of it's contents. Bad news was that he had gotten lost and Mikoto's show would be starting soon. After a bit of exploring, he eventually got back to the stage, just not where he was supposed to be. Rather than ending up in the courtyard with the rest of the audience, Toume found himself backstage. And standing before him was a rather nervous looking Mikoto Misaka.

She wore a long, white, sleeveless dress with black trims and seams. Her hair was in it's usual cut, but instead of her usual plain hair clip, she wore a pair of white flowers with a blue ribbon. If Touma were to describe her in a single word, that word would be "pretty".

"Hey, you doing okay, Zapper?" Touma asked in concern.

His presence now known, Touma was faced with a shocked, embarrassed, and angry looking Mikoto Misaka. The overall aura she was giving off completely clashed with the beautiful outfit. The girl in front of him was actually starting to scare him quite a bit.

"Idiot, why the hell are you back here?!" Mikoto demanded, grabbing a steel chair and holding it over her head, "Did you seriously come out of your way just to make fun of me and my dress or something?!"

"Hey, take it easy!" Touma begged, trying to wrestle the chair out of his friend's grasp, "I just got lost on my way here and came in by accident! When I saw you looking all nervous, I thought I would try to comfort you! Besides, you look pretty in that dress, more so when you're not threatening my life, so please put the chair down!"

The last compliment caused Mikoto to falter, calming her down slightly and loosening her grip. The girl in front of him now slightly pacified, Touma took the chair and put down against the back wall. As he did so, he noticed a violin sitting on another chair, all ready to be played.

"Violin, huh?" Touma mused, "I never considered that you played, but it suits you."

"Thanks," Mikoto replied, "It's just, I'm so on edge. Everyone expects so much from me. It's hard to keep up sometimes."

"I can imagine. That must be some burden you're carrying. But, you don't have to carry it alone," Touma argued, "We're all there to support you."

"I know, but you guys also add to that burden too."

"Only because we know you're going to succeed," Touma encouraged, "Tell you what, I'll stay right here. I'll support you anyway I can, just give me a sign. I know you can do this."

Touma offered Mikoto her violin and a determined look. She hesitantly reached for the instrument but grabbed it from Touma's hands with the same conviction that he presented her. That look in his eyes was all she really needed to get her going.

The violin now in hand, she walked out onto the stage for the audience. She spared Touma one last look, earning a thumbs-up. Her resolve further reinforced, she began to play. The violin rang beautify as she moved the bow back and forth along the strings. Perfect technique, perfect intonation, perfect everything. It was truly a magnificent performance. Mikoto Misaka truly was the Ace of Tokiwadai.

* * *

 **I have to say, not one of my stronger chapter. I feel like this could have turned out much better, especially at then end, and could have squeezed in a few more jokes and better relationship development. Oh well.**

 **Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for making you all wait this long. Seriously, nearly month, what is wrong with me?**

 **Leave a review if you liked it or have any questions. Until next time, wait and hope**

 **Curry Ramen Saber-sized Portion! (Couldn't find a good Taiga quote, so I just used a line from the sign in the Taiga Dojo)**


	21. Ghost Stories

**Time to make up for lost time with another update less than a week after the previous on! I didn't want to keep you all waiting after that last lackluster chapter, so I'm here again with the start of the Poltergeist Arc! Finally, things are starting to pick up again. Admittedly, this chapter feels a bit like a rush job, but a decent rush job.**

 **Time to get some Q &A taken care of.**

 **Bluejack222: Eh, the definition of filler has always been loose, at least for me. Thanks for the high rating.**

 **Syko-Soldier963: No, at this point in time, Shizuri, Accelerator, and Misaki are the only Level 5s Touma has had contact with before Mikoto. I might retcon that in the future before I introduce the other Level 5s, but I'll leave it at that for now.**

 **RedSS: Like I said, lackluster. Bet you didn't expect this to update so soon, now did ya?**

 **RPGPersona: Yeah, just one last breather chapter with a lot of comedy before getting back into the action. I'm glad you liked all the jokes and expanded growth of Index's character. I can see why you thought the ending was a bit weak. I honestly wish I could have done that part better.**

 **GhostofTime: Trust me, I'm excited for the Sisters Arc too, but hold your horses. I need to get past this arc first.**

 **Handsomistic1: Yeah, that last chapter was a bit of a rush job. I wanted to include the auction scene, but I couldn't think of any way to make it unique from the original scene. Thanks for the support.**

 **mohamadstar94: Technically, she was always in love with him. The last chapter just brought the two of them a bit closer together.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: I know it's taking a while, but I want to do this relationship justice. I want to give them proper development for a relationship, which takes a lot of time.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Lacking but fun. I can live with that. That's for the support. Can't wait for whatever secret project you have planned.**

 **guest (Guest): Already read it. It was the inspiration for the concept in the first place. Real classy alias.**

 **Kim454: For the Sisters Arc, I will probably include elements of both the Index and Railgun versions. Since Touma will be much more familiar with the girls, his personal investigation might start a bit sooner, depending on if he picks up on any of the clues Mikoto accidentally leaves behind. Yeah, your right, I bump in the road for Kamikoto is in order. I'll just need to find an appropriate time to implement it. I thinking the bridge scene during the Sisters Arc, but I'll see if I can squeeze it in a bit sooner. You sir, honestly frighten me. Having an infinite number of swords means nothing against a opponent that has mastered one, but an infinite number of reviews can easily cripple someone with limited time.**

 **Guest (1): Thanks for the support.**

 **Guest (2): Thanks for being so understanding.**

 **Okay then, roll the disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 21: Ghost Stories

"Hey Touma, where are we going?" Index asked as she, Touma, Mikoto and Kuroko followed Saten down Academy City's streets.

"Flipper said that Headband got a new roommate," Touma explain in stride, "She's a transfer student from District 19, so Flipper wanted us all to meet her."

"Doesn't seem a bit odd to be getting a transfer student in the middle of the year?" Mikoto asked.

"Yeah, usually transfer students join at the beginning of a year or start of a term," Kuroko agreed, "Not only that, but you seem rather happy about this, Saten."

"Well of course I am! She's going to be Uiharu's roommate," Saten replied, "That means she's going to be my friend too."

"You do realize that's not necessarily true, right?" Touma asked, remembering his rocky relationship with the sorcerer Styil Magnus.

As much as he wished their shared friendship with Index would improve their relationship, Touma knew very well that the sorcerer would sooner barbeque him rather than come to a barbeque with him.

Not long after, the group met up with Uiharu at her dorm building. Accompanying her was a quiet, middle school girl with short, brown hair. The girl was introduced as Erii Haruue, Uiharu's new roommate. Once introductions were out of the way, the group got to work on helping Haruue move in, emptying out all the boxes the movers left in front of the dorm.

"That's that," Touma said as he folded the last empty box.

"Thank you all," Haruue said in a near whisper, "I really apprieciate all of you helping me."

"It was no problem at all," Mikoto insisted, "Anyway, how about we all do something fun."

"That sounds great, but unfortunately, Pigtail, Headband and I are going to be a bit busy," Touma lamented.

"What do you mean?" Uiharu asked.

"Don't you remember? We have that joint conference we have to attend today," Kuroko reminded.

"Rotten luck," Uiharu whined.

"Hey, that's Touma's line!" Index yelled.

"Don't make it sound like that's my catchphrase or something," Touma complained.

"It kind of is," Mikoto pointed out.

"What conference are you talking about?" Saten asked.

"Judgement and Anti-Skill are meeting this afternoon," Touma explained, "Something about all the recent Earthquakes."

"Yeah, we have to go," Uiharu lamented.

"Misaka, Index and I can still show Haruue around," Saten offered.

"Without me, no fair!" Uiharu argued.

"It will be fine," Saten insisted, "You can meet up with us later."

The two new roommates shared a look before coming to a consensus.

"Saten and Index can be a bit of a hassle sometimes, but Misaka's nice," Uiharu said reassuringly, "We'll join you as soon as we're finished."

"'Bit of a hassle'?" Saten asked.

"Yeah, what does that mean?" Index added, clearly insulted.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Touma interrupted, starting to push Uiharu towards to the door, "We don't have time for your comedy routine."

"Wait! I need to make sure Saten doesn't flip Haruue's skirt!" Uiharu begged, feeling a sense of duty to ensure her roommate's dignity.

"Relax, we all know Flipper's only target is you," Touma argued as he guided the middle school girl out the door, "If we don't get going now, we'll be late."

"We'll catch up soon enough," Kuroko added as she followed her Judgement colleagues out the dorm room.

The remaining group could only laugh stiffly as they watched Kuroko leave, taking the strange turn of events in stride.

"So…" Mikoto trailed, "Where do you guys want to go first?"

* * *

Soon enough, Mikoto, Saten, Index, and Haruue were exploring the streets of District 7. Eventually, they found themselves at the same bench and crepe truck that the Tokiwadai girls met their lower level friends. Each of the girls was enjoying a crepe of their personal preference, with Index hold five, each on a different flavor.

"This place is starting to become a place where friendships are made," Saten noted.

"It sure is," Mikoto laughed.

"How are you finding your crepe, Haruue?" Saten asked, earning a nod.

"Still, it's too bad the others couldn't come," Mikoto said, "Why would Judgement and Anti-Skill be holding a joint conference about something like earthquakes."

"I didn't want to say anything earlier, but there's a hot rumor going around about that," Saten admitted, "Apparently, they're not earthquakes, but poltergeists."

"You're kidding, right?" Mikoto asked, unconvinced.

"No, I really think this is true!" Saten insisted, "There were no P-waves or S-waves during any of the supposed earthquakes. It's a paranormal phenomenon. Paranormal! It's a pulse from an alternate dimension! Or maybe another planet! Or maybe the result of a series of secret underground experiments conducted by the government! They say we can expect another big one soon enough! Look!"

At that point, the other girls were just leaving Saten to ramble on, not bothering to pay too much attention. They only really listened after the rumor hunter shoved her phone in Mikoto's face, presenting an online forum discussing the rumors about the incidents.

"You're from District 19, right Haruee? Weren't there a lot of Poltergeist outbreaks in that area? What was it like?" Saten asked.

"You shouldn't be getting so excited about this. It could be really serious," Mikoto reprimanded.

"Y-yeah, sorry," Saten apologized sheepishly.

"Besides, all those theories of yours seem pretty flimsy to me," Index added, "If it is some kind of poltergeist or ghost, I doubt it would go out of its way to create earthquakes, if a ghost could form here in Academy City at all."

"Index?" Mikoto asked in confusion.

"According to the Necronomicon, or the Book of the Dead, a ghost is the spiritual remnants of a human soul that had not moved on to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. This usually results from something keeping that soul bound to this world, like a grudge or a disturbed grave," Index rambled, "The issue in this case is that a ghost wouldn't go out of its way to cause mass destruction throughout the city like this. If Academy City was built on top of some sacred grave-site, then the disturbances would have started during the city's founding. If it was a grudge of a recently deceased person, then the target of that grudge probably wouldn't be so broad as to attack the whole city. While there's still a chance of the latter case, I'd say it's rather unlikely. Besides, the Roman Catholic Church makes it a point to remove wandering spirits as soon as possible. If they have yet to act, then it's most likely not an actual ghost."

"Um, Index," Saten interrupted nodding towards Haruee, "Ex nay on the sagic mide, okay?"

"Sorry about that," Mikoto intervened, "Index's imagination tends to get the better of her some time."

"Your so mean, Mikoto!" Index whined, clearly offended by Mikoto's attempts to shake suspicion about the existence of magic.

"Anyway, where to next?" Saten offered.

* * *

Across District 7, Kuroko, Touma, Uiharu, and Konori were just getting out of the district's Main Anti-Skill Office. The conference had just finished up and Touma took extra care to write down all the important bits in his journal for further investigation.

According to Therestina of the Multi Active Rescue Team, the earthquakes were the result of Poltergeists, which in actuality were not ghosts but a byproduct of RSPK Syndrome. The syndrome was when and Esper loses autonomy and their power runs out of control. Supposedly, multiple cases of this syndrome were occurring simultaneously, causing the Esper powers to merge and create an effect nearly indistinguishable from earthquakes.

Judgement's job was to keep the rumors surrounding these incidents from spreading. Should such rumors get too out of control, the public could go into mass hysteria, causing more casualties then there already would be. Touma made sure to put Saten down as a number one priority in this particular goal.

"Well, that was over a lot sooner than I expected," Uiharu noted.

"I'm just glad we didn't have to stick around for the second one since that's exclusively for Anti-Skill," Touma said, closing his journal.

"You seem to have something on your mind, Konori," Kuroko pointed out.

"Something about RSPK Syndrome and the way their handling the case just doesn't feel right," Konori admitted, "I've never heard of this condition before."

"I can't say I disagree," Touma added, "That Therestina woman seemed to know an awful lot too. I don't get how she could know so much about this new Esper condition in such a short amount of time. It's almost like she's had firsthand experience researching the stuff."

"Well, she is part of the team investigating the occurrences in the first place," Kuroko pointed out, "She could have gotten her information form them. Anyway, it won't do us any good to try to figure it out all by ourselves."

"I guess you're right, but I still can't shake this feeling," Konori admitted.

The entire conversation, Uiharu was preoccupied by her phone. Eager to join up with the rest of their friends and her new roommate, she quickly dialed up Saten and asked where they where headed. Everyone else could only look on as she spoke into her phone with a bit more volume than one would think to be necessary.

* * *

 **We interrupt this story for a public service announcement. The author humbly asks that guest readers stop sending him reviews pertaining to the "A Certain" fanfiction, "My little brother". He has already read it and was the inspiration for the concept of Touma's sister, so please stop bringing it up. We now return to our irregularly scheduled fanfiction.**

* * *

Soon enough, the group of friends were reunited at the arcade that they frequent, as did many other students. Not only was the location very popular, it was where Mikoto stocked up on arcade coins for her railgun and where Touma holds the high score for the strongest punch, a high score that Mikoto has desperately tried to beat.

The trip was harmless enough, but some would say it was too harmless. One of Haruee's favorite games in the arcade was Whack-a-Mole. As anyone would know, the goal of the game was to whack as many moles as possible when they pop out of their holes within a certain amount of time. However, Haruee found the moles too cute to whack over the head, preferring to just watch them pop up and down their holes. She played the game three times in a row like this, much to the groups disbelief.

"Hey Touma, what's that over there?" Index asked, pointing towards a large, sparkling box with the words "Beauty White" written on the side.

"Looks like a photo booth, and a flashy one at that," Touma noted.

"Hey, why don't we check it out?" Mikoto suggested.

"Great idea, Sissy!" Kuroko agreed, "We should all go in for a photo."

"You guys go on ahead," Touma said, "I'll just wait outside."

"Come on, don't be like that," Saten encouraged, nudging the unlucky boy towards the booth, "This is to commemorate our new friendship with Haruee. You have to join in."

"Seriously, I'm fine," Touma argued, pushing back, "I've always stuck out like a sore thumb in the group anyway. Plus, if I go in there, I'll lose man-points, heavily!"

"I'd thing that Tsuchimikado and Aogami would beg to differ," Kuroko added, helping Saten push him alone, "Come on, just take the photo."

"Come on! Touma!" Index whined, dragging him by his arm.

"Why are you all so adamant about this?" Touma cried, "Rotten luck!"

Reluctantly, Touma eventually got into the booth with the girls, taking a set of three pictures with them. One was formal, one was silly, and one was casual, but Touma looked awkwardly placed and Haruee looked lost in all three of them. Afterwards, they group took a break by the vending machines in the back corner of the arcade, giving them time for a quick drink and for Uiharu to send Haruee a digital copy of the photos to her phone.

"How can I put this… The girl is a curiosity," Kuroko commented, referring to Haruee.

"I have to agree with you on that," Touma added, "Who doesn't whack the moles when playing Whack-a-Mole and not pose in a photo booth?"

"I think she's kind of sweet," Mikoto argued.

"Actually, she reminds me of how Uiharu was back then," Saten admitted.

"How so?" Touma asked, intrigued.

"You know, like when she first transferred in."

"So, Headband was shy, timid, socially awkward, soft spoken, and has an affinity for cute things when she first transferred in," Touma listed, taking out his journal and a pen.

He gave Uiharu's entry a quick onceover before quickly closing the journal.

"Nope, that description is still accurate to what I have on her for the current day," Touma announced.

"That's a little harsh," Kuroko noted.

"Just writing what I see," Touma shrugged.

The entire time they were talking, Index was completely absorbed in her drink, passively remembering the conversation without actually paying attention. However, even the gluttonous Index took notice when Haruee walked straight into a glass wall. Touma opened his journal to Uiharu's section once again to find that he also had "occasionally absentminded" listed under her traits. The two roommates were looking more and more similar by the second.

"You okay?" Saten asked in concern.

"What could have compelled you to walk into a wall like that anyway?" Touma inquired.

"Up there…" Haruee said weakly, pointing towards a poster on the other side of the glass wall.

Upon closer inspection, the group saw that the poster was for the fireworks display scheduled for later that night. They quickly came to a consensus, agreeing to all meet up to see the show and even planned to invite Konori to come along with them. Mikoto and Kuroko even quickly made a plan to sneak out of their dorm to join them. With plans made, the group dispersed to their own residences to prepare.

* * *

"Yay, it's a festival!" Index cheered as she looked over the booths lining the street down below.

All the girls were present and accounted for. Every one of them was wearing a kimono that they bought just for the occasion. Even Index chose to abandon her usual, broken nun's habit for a similarly colored white kimono with gold sash, provided by Saten's shopping and Mikoto's funds.

"You sure seemed excited," Uiharu noted.

"Of course, this is my first time going to a traditional Japanese festival. But because the youngsters these days can't fit in with the tradition, it's not exactly popular," Index began to ramble, "But imagine if everyone just started practicing their dancing! But then they'll say, 'It's so stupid, why should I?' And then the girls start crying… Then guys come out to comfort them, and then after the festival ends…"

"Index?" the girls asked in concern as she suddenly grew quiet.

"They start going out…" Index whispered darkly, as if declaring one of the darkest secrets of the universe.

"A-anyway, speaking of boys showing up," Mikoto stuttered, trying to move away from Index's dark shift, "When is that idiot going to?"

"Sorry I'm late!" a familiar voice cried out behind them.

"Ah, it's Touma! It's Touma! It's Touma!" Index cheered as the unlucky high school boy ran towards them in his casual attire.

"What took you so long?" asked Kuroko.

"Sorry," Touma apologized sheepishly, "I asked chief if she wanted to come along, but she insisted on looking into RSPK Syndrome, so I decided to stay around to help. Eventually I lost track of time and she had to shoo me out of the office so I could get here at least reasonably late."

"You and helping people," Mikoto shook her head in exasperation.

"Well now that we're all here, how about he hit a couple of stands?" Saten suggested, "They've got a lot of good stuff lined up, especially food!"

"Food!" Index yelled as she immediately started running down the hill.

"Index, wait! We need to pay for that first!" Touma cried as he ran after her in a panic, "Rotten luck!"

"Wait for me!" Mikoto followed.

"Sissy, be careful!" Kuroko said in chase.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not getting left behind," Saten yelled.

"Shall we?" Uiharu asked her roommate.

"Mhm," Haruee hummed in agreement.

The group went into full fun mode once they hit the stands. They indulged themselves in the various games, foods, and other traditions of Japanese summer festivals. It was a eventful night filled with Touma's bad luck with games, Kuroko's blatant cheating with her ability, and thousands of Yen spent on food that disappeared into the black hole known as Index's stomach.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere of the festival was slightly hindered by presence of the Multi Active Rescue Team, who stationed their trucks just outside the festival grounds. It was understandable why they were there. With so many people at the festival, it would be a disaster if a Poltergeisting occurred and there was no one to protect the civilians. They just didn't do anything to make the festivities any more enjoyable.

Regardless, the group of friends weren't going to let a few guys in Powered Suits stop them from having fun and enjoying the fireworks show. Saten happened to know the perfect spot for viewing them further up on a hillside. There was a paved ledge that provided the perfect view, allowing anyone standing on it to see the fireworks above and the festival below.

When the fireworks display started, the group was treated to a true spectacle. The night sky burst into lights of various colors as each rocket went off. The sound of the exploding pyrotechnics echoed through the air and was loud enough to create a resonance with the liquids of the human body, creating a tingling feeling. It was truly a sight to behold.

However, things quickly turned sour and only escalated from there. For some reason, Haruee began to walk away form the rest of the group, seemingly lost in her own world. Uiharu, Saten, and Index quickly followed suit out of concern for their new friend's strange behavior. The commotion drew Touma's attention away from the fireworks, which was then redirected at his phone, which suddenly began to ring. Excusing himself to take the call, he left Mikoto and Kuroko alone on the ledge, giving Kuroko the 'perfect' chance to attempt another advance on her senior. When Touma picked up the call, he was surprised to fine Konori on the other end and dreaded what she said.

"Hey chief," Touma greeted, "something wrong?"

" _Definitely_ ," Konori replied, " _It's about the Poltergeisting incidents!_ "

"Did you find a lead?"

" _Not just a lead. I found a possible cause for the RSPK Syndrome activity: intentional outside interference with AIM Diffusion Fields!_ "

"AIM Diffusion Fields? Give me a second," Touma said as he pulled out his journal.

He quickly flipped through the pages until he found the last incident he was involved in that included AIM Diffusion Fields, the Level Upper Case.

"A gaint monster was born the a few weeks back because of manipulated AIM Diffusion Fields, right?" Touma noted, "Are you suggesting…"

 _"Yes, that all this Poltergeisting was intentional!_ "

At that moment, shit it the fan. Without warning, another Poltergeist hit the festival grounds, specifically the hill the group was standing on. The shaking was so intense, in caused a section of the paved ledge to fall off. The bad news was it was the part that Mikoto and Kuroko were standing on. The good news was that Kuroko was able to teleport the both of them to safety on the stairs the led down the main path to the ledge.

Seeing that Mikoto and Kuroko could handle themselves, Touma quickly ran up the steps back to the main path to check on the others. When he got to the top, he saw Saten and Index were more or less okay. The main concern was Uiharu and Haruee, who were on their knees and right underneath a falling lamppost. Acting before he could think, Touma ran in and dived, shoving the girls out of the way of the fall rod of metal. However, he ended up landing underneath the falling object instead. He braced himself for the impact, already familiar with far greater pain.

But, the pain never came, looking up, Touma saw that someone in a hot pink, and ironically cameo patterned powered suit had caught the lamppost before it hit him.

"That was a close call," a clearly female voice said from within the powered suit.

The cylindrical helmet of the suit lightened its shaders, allowing a familiar face to be seen.

"Are you injured?" the suit operator asked, "Your safe now."

"It's you," Touma breathed out, recognizing the woman as Therestina from the Multi Active Rescue Team.

However, Touma didn't have time to dwell on his savior. Instead, he turned towards Uiharu and Haruee, the latter of whom was acting particularly strange. She sat on the ground, seemingly ignoring everyone and everything else around her. She sat there, clutching a locket in her fist, asking the same question to herself, over and over.

"Where are you?"

* * *

 **And that's the end of that chapter.**

 **Sorry about that little interruption int the middle of the story. It looked like not everyone reads the notes at the beginning or end of the chapters, so a pulled a little trick from Youtube and put the messages in the middle, since those seem to get more attention.**

 **So, we have the Poltergeist Arc starting now, and the Sister's Arc starting soon after. And after the Sister's Arc there is a continuity branch, one for the main storyline, and another for the idol story line. Because of that, I've been considering writing a similar spin-off for this fanfiction where Touma acts as the collaboration agent for all of the Level 5s. Just an idea, but one that can very well be made real. There is a poll on my profile about it, so vote if your interested.**

 **Leave a review if you liked the chapter!**

 **Thank you for the letters. Now burn them all!**


	22. Suspect

**Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! The Poltergeist Arc is starting to pick up now, which means lots of detective antics along the way. Granted, considering most of you know how the arc goes down, there won't be any earth shattering revelations in the near future. Still, I aimed to make this fanfiction more character driven than anything else, so I will just have to push forward and hope my character explorations will improve.**

 **But for now, Q &A time!**

 **Bluejack222: I'll keep that in mind. In my defense, the pacing of the chapters is based on the pacing of the anime. I'll try to improve on that, but pacing isn't exactly my forte, especially when the pace is previously established.**

 **jphw: Ha! So true. the message wasn't suppose to be be funny, but I'm glad you found it so. One step at a time there buddy. Trust me, I'm excited for the Sisters Arc too.**

 **GhostofTime: Somehow, that reference felt appropriate with your name.**

 **ahsoei: I'm particularly proud of Index's portion. I had to do a considerable amount of research to make sure that the information I provided on ghosts was accurate and not something I just pulled out of my ass for the sake of adding a new perspective. I'll try to improve on the dialogue in the future. I thought it was alright last chapter, but hindsight's 20/20.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Don't worry, I can wait. I'm expecting big things from you, especially after you "A Certain" and "Nasuverse" crossovers. Glad you had fun with the chapter. Not sure if you noticed, but the little rant Index had regarding festivals was pulled straight out of Index-tan episode 3. Just a little joke I thought I would slip in.**

 **RedSS: Thanks for going to the poll. I wouldn't be so sure about too much of the Judgement Crew getting overly involved in the Sisters Arc. Touma may be Judgement now, but he was still forced to join in an unconventional way. Not to mention he only really started to pick up on the Sisters the night that Misaka 10032 was scheduled to die, so there is no logical way he can get the proper permission to investigate in an official capacity since the city will be in on the experiment and the timeframe will be too last minute for anything to be done. As for watching Railgun, definitely do it. My story is written with the expectation that the reader has seen Railgun and knows most of the plot points, so things left unchanged are explicitly left out. Highly recommended if you like "To aru" but want a more centralized cast and a greater focus on the Science Side.**

 **Kim454: I see you liked a lot of what I've written so far. Glad to hear it! In my defense, Poltergeists are a direct application of merged Runaway Abilities, so weaker Poltergeists like the one in the Child Error Facility should be more manageable for Imagine Breaker to negate, while larger ones are so large and powerful that the most Imagine Breaker might be able to handle is a small, localized area. If you want Touma's thoughts on the case, your about to hear them this chapter. Thanks for voting and reprimanding that one user for ignoring the message. Trolls, am I right?**

 **LookItsADoggy: Troll move, dude. Real troll move.**

 **zcorp117: Thanks for the support.**

 **shiroryuu012: Give it time. I need a good set up if I want them to happen.**

 **ConnivingG: You either only watched Index, or this isn't one of the more memorable arcs for you. Personally, it's one of my favorite from Railgun.**

 **Majin Othinus: True enough, but I also see her as an opportunist. She'll take what she can get, so if Touma has to step away for the moment, she'll happily give Mikoto all her affections for the both of them, and vice versa.**

 **Guest (1): And the Kihara's get their first interaction with the human they can't understand much earlier than expected. I'm not sure how to implement Accelerator's story. I'll either wait a little bit on it or not at all. If the two of them do try to repair their relationship, I'm sure there would be some parts of Accelerator's life that he'd want to leave his friend out of.**

 **mohamadstar94: Thanks for the support.**

 **Generation Zero: Who knows? I might expand on Imagine Breaker in this fanfiction. I might even turn this into my own MCU (Multi-Crossover Universe) with other magic and sci-fi anime and manga. Don't worry about Touma's sister. Unlike her brother, she didn't get amnesia and you never forget family.**

 **That's it for the Q &A. Disclaimer, fire!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Suspect

Following the recent Poltergeisting at the fireworks show, MAR were sent in to handle damage control. Haruee had since passed out and the rescue teams began to process her for transport to a hospital to get checked out. Uiharu stayed by her roommate's side out of concern, with Saten and Index staying close by. At the same time, Touma reported to Kuroko about Konori's findings pertaining to the link between AIM Diffusion Fields and RSPK Syndrome. Having the tendency to involve herself in official business, Mikoto listened on as well.

Once they were all on the same page, the Level 5, 4, and 0 approached the woman responsible for saving Touma when he was too busy saving others. The woman in question, Therestina, had recently gotten out of her Powered Suit and was talking on the phone with her associates about the incident.

"As we know, what happened was not caused by an earthquake," the woman said over the phone.

"It was Poltergeisting," Kuroko supplied as they approached.

Therestine turned her attention away her phone call towards the students, acknowledging their observation.

"Yes, your correct about that, children," she replied.

"We wanted to thank you personally for helping me," Touma said with a bow, his friends following suit.

"I'm just glad nobody was injured," Therestine in reply.

"We were just wondering," Kuroko added, looking towards the MAR staff on site, "Are you measuring the AIM in the area?"

They had a variety of handheld scanner on them, accompanied by a couple of tables that were surely documenting the readings.

"Is MAR able to find irregularities in the AIM Fields before an event happens?" Kuroko added.

The group earned a somewhat suspicious look for their question.

"Yeah, it's just that you arrived so quickly, we figured you had some way of predicting them," Touma supplied nervously.

"Could you two tell me your names?" Therestina asked.

"Oh, right! I'm Touma Kamijou and this is Kuroko Shirai of Tokiwadai. We're both with Judgement Branch 177."

"So that explains it. There are some outstanding officers in your branch in particular, although some of the claims seem a bit out there," the MAR Commander concluded, "To answer your question, there is a connection between AIM and RSPK. I'm impressed you found it so quickly."

"From what we can tell, the manipulation of AIM Diffusion Fields are the cause of the RSPK, resulting in these Poltergeisting events," Kuroko explained, "It would have been helpful if you had mentioned this during the joint conference early today. Then, we would have been able to look out for any suspicious persons at these events."

"As I made it clear before, that's Anti-Skill's jurisdiction," Therestina pointed out, "Judgement's job is to counter rumors and manage day-to-day safety."

"Even so, this information would have made it easier for us to keep people calm and properly informed," Touma argued, "Had we known, we could have created clear counter arguments of the rumors or even claim that random changes in the AIM Fields were the cause."

"Fair point, but as the old saying goes, ignorance is bliss," the grown woman countered, "Although, I must say, you sure have a knack for helping people, young man. I saw what you did back there, pushing those girls out of the way, leaving yourself to take the hit."

"I don't need a reason to help someone," Touma replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world, "Those two being my friends just gave me extra incentive. If I have the power to be of use, I'm going to do whatever I can to help."

"Even if it comes to cost you in some way, like with that lamppost?" Therestina inquired, "Surely, self-preservation demands that you keep yourself out of danger first."

"Maybe, but I'd rather be the one to pay the price than let someone else suffer," Touma answered back, barely skipping a beat, "Pain's an old friend."

"Even if you were faced with a force that severally outclassed you?"

"I'd make the whole world my enemy if it would let me protect even a single smile."

Therestina was honestly thrown off by Touma's calmness about the situation. He just stood there and told her to her face that he would take on the world just to help a single person. It defied all logic. No human put others before themselves to such a degree. She just couldn't understand this boy's way of thinking. Worse part was she couldn't even collect all her thoughts on the boy before a fourth person interrupted them.

"Manipulating AIM Diffusion Fields," Mikoto mused, earning everyone's attention, "We know somebody who has done just that. Could this be her work?"

"Whose work?" Therestina asked.

Unfortunately, she never got a response as the conversation was interrupted by Saten.

"Hey guys!" Saten called out, "We're going to ride along with Haruee to the hospital!"

"Oh, will come to!" Mikoto offered.

"Doesn't your dorm manager do regular room checks?" Touma asked, pointing out a major obstacle in the Tokiwadai girl's wishes.

"Kamijou's right. We need to head back soon," Kuroko agreed.

Mikoto could only groan in disappointment at this revelation.

"Don't worry, I'll ride with them and fill you girls in," Toaum said reassuringly, "I'll see you two later."

With a quick goodbye, Touma ran straight to the ambulance and jumped in the back with everyone else, leaving the Tokiwadai girls to get back to their dorm and avoid cruel and unusual punishment.

While riding the ambulance to the hospital, Touma made a quick call for Konori to report in on everything that happened. Based on her panicked tone when she picked up, it was clear she was extremely worried when Touma hung up, especially for him. It was understandable. He did hang up on her after a Poltergeisting hit. However, he couldn't figure out why exactly she was worried to this extent. She was clearly more worried for him than anybody else, but he didn't see why his safety was anymore important. It could have been because he was the one person Kuroko couldn't teleport to safety. It wasn't like she had some secret crush on him or anything.

After making the phone call and getting Haruee checked out by a doctor, the group took her back to the dorm, form which Touma excused himself, saying he had some other errands to run that night after the fireworks display. As he made his way home, Touma quickly called Mikoto and Kuroko, informing them that everything had turned out alright for the most part. Haruee was fine, having at worse been put into a state of shock after the Poltergeist.

However, the call ran longer than expected when the topic shifted to Haruee being a possible suspect for the cause of the Poltergeist incidents in the first place. While the evidence was shaky at best, Touma couldn't deny that there was some connection. An Esper from District 19 transfers to District 7, coinciding with the shift in the frequency of Poltergeistings in both districts. It wasn't much, but it was enough to warrant investigation. Touma would hate to have to arrest someone he only recently became friends with, so he resolved to prove her innocence. As far as he was concerned, Haruee being the culprit was the result of some unlucky coincidences, a mere illusion that he would shatter.

* * *

The following day, Touma opted to visit the local Judgement Training Facility to work on his crowd control pike skills. It had been a while since he had picked up a polearm and he didn't want to get rusty. As much as he wanted to go the branch office to look for evidence to prove Haruee innocent, he knew he was never the best at searching for information in the Data Bank. He would leave that to Kuroko and Mikoto, the latter of whom could easily find her way around a computer thanks to her ability. He would have said Uiharu would be their best bet in the computer department, but she had taken the day off to spend time with Haruee. Besides, he didn't think Uiharu would take it very well to hear that her friend was a suspect, albeit a flimsy one.

Touma stood in front of a training dummy with a pike in hand and took a spearman's stance. He dipped the three prongs of the pike towards the ground, supporting it in the palm of his left hand. The opposite end of the polearm pointed upwards behind him and was held firmly in his right fist. His feet were a shoulder length apart and his knees were bent slightly, providing both stability and readied him to move. If his journal and his experiences were anything to go by, Touma thought through things better when under stress.

"Okay, let's review," Touma said to himself, "Poltergeisting is the result of RSPK Syndrome, which could be caused by AIM manipulation."

He rushed close to the training dummy, swinging the pike upward for a vertical swipe. He then quickly followed up by swinging the weapon back around another 360 degrees, resulting in a second vertical swipe.

"If the AIM Diffusion Fields are being manipulated, the it has to be the work of either an Esper or a researcher with a deep understanding of AIM."

Touma leveled his polearm and thrust it forward for a stab. He then quickly retracted it and swing it in a wide, horizontal arc across the dummy.

"The prime researcher suspect is Dr. Kiyama, who is, last we checked, locked away in an Anti-Skill Detention Center in District 17. Thus, there is no way for her to be the culprit from behind bars."

He brought the prongs of his pike down on the dummy's head before pulling back and thrusting at its waist.

"Meanwhile, Haruee is an Esper whose movements match those of the Poltergeistings' and reacted strangely after sitting through one of the events. But unless we know her ability and level, we can't rule her out from suspicion."

Finally, he positioned his weapon so that the business end of his polearm behind him. With a great amount of force, he swung the pike low to the ground before upper cutting the dummy, knocking it of balance.

"And now I'm talking to myself," Touma lamented as he put the pike down and sat down on the floor.

That had been the tenth time Touma had knocked over the training dummy in that one session, and he still had not thought of some way that he could relieve Haruee of suspicion. They only had so little information, and yet that little bit was enough to put Uiharu's new roommate on the radar. As much as he hated to admit it, the only thing Touma could do now was wait and hope that Kuroko and Mikoto's findings didn't incriminate Haruee any more than she already was.

Even is she turned out to not be the culprit, what other possible reason could there be for her behavior. Was it all just some coincidence and they just got unlucky? That would certainly be in line for Touma. Was there something else related to the Poltergeistings that was affecting only Haruee and causing her to act out like she was? What would that third variable even be?

If only he could have been able to spend the day with the young girl. If he could negate her ability while a Poltergeisting was in progress, it would provide definitive proof of her relationship to the events. If the Poltergeisting stopped, then the crisis was averted and the was culprit found. If not, she was proven innocent. Granted, that plan required a Poltergeisting, but it at least got them answers.

The ringing of his phone knocked Touma away from his thoughts. Picking it up from a nearby bench, Touma was anxious to see that it was Koroko on the line.

"Hey Pigtails," Touma answered casually, "is this about the Poltergeistings and Haruee?"

" _Yes and no_ ," Kuroko replied grimly on the other side, " _It's about Uiharu and Haruee. The got caught in another Poltergeisting._ "

"What?!"

* * *

"Uiharu! Are you okay?" Saten asked as she, Mikoto, Kuroko, and Touma approached their injured friend in the hospital.

For Index's own safety, the group decided to leave her in the dark. With all the chaos in happening in the city, it wouldn't be very surprising if a sorcerer snuck in to kidnap her while everyone was focused on the Poltergeists.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch," Uiharu said reassuringly, presenting her bandaged knee, "I told them it was not a problem, but they insisted."

"That's a relief," Touma sighed.

"You could have called. We were worried about you," Kuroko reprimanded.

"You and Haruee got caught in Poltergeisting incidences two times in a row. If it weren't for Kamijou, I'd say you two were the unluckiest people in Academy City," Saten joked.

"Okay, that was just uncalled for," Touma complained, "But to be honest, I'm surprised I didn't get caught in that Poltergeist with my luck."

Looking around, Touma could see several dozen patients in the lobby of the hospital with Uiharu. Most of them only had minor injuries, but a couple of patients were stretched out on the benches with IV tubes and nurses, implying that all the rooms had been occupied. With so many patients, most people were forced to sit on the floor while waiting to be looked by a doctor. It really did look like the recovery efforts that followed an earthquake.

"Hey, where is Haruee?" Mikoto asked.

"Don't worry," Uiharu replied, "she was evacuated before me, so she should be he. Plus, she only passed out so it's nothing serious."

"Thank goodness," Saten sighed in relief.

"Uiharu," Kuroko cut in sternly, "Do you remember Haruee acting strangely in any way before it happened, like back at the fireworks display?"

"Why do you ask?"

"According to my investigation, Haruee is a Level 2 Telepath with some irregularities in her ability," Kuroko explained, "If you noticed anything suspicious like before, then you need to tel-"

"Why?" Uiharu cut her friend off.

"Huh?"

"Why would you be investigating Haruee?" Uiharu asked, "No way. You can't suspect Haruee of being involved in any of this."

"Uiharu, it's not like that," Touma tried to explain, "we just…"

"How could do this, both of you," Uiharu cut her fellow Judgement Officers off once again, "Haruee just transferred to our school district. She's nervous and she's relying on us to help her, and yet you… You're both horrible!"

"Woah, easy there," Saten said.

"Listen to them, Uiharu," Mikoto added, "They didn't mean to-"

"It certainly is possible that a Telepath is responsible for tampering with the AIM Diffusion Fields," a familiar voice interrupted.

Turning around, the group saw Therestina approach them in full MAR uniform.

"We can't write it off," she finished.

"Oh, I didn't see you there," Kuroko greeted.

"It looks like they can't take anymore here," Therestina told one of her subordinates, "Take the rest of the injured to the hospital in district 15."

The MAR officer complied, quickly leaving the group to rely the orders and carry them out.

"As I was saying," Therestina continued, "A Telepath could be the culprit, but they would have to be a Level 4 at least. As you can imagine, the number of those is very small. The likely hood of a Level 2 accomplishing such a feat would be practically zero. However, I still think we should look into this, just to be on the safe side. Who is this friend of yours?"

"A transfer student named Erii Haruee," Kuroko answered without skipping a beat.

"How could you?!" Uiharu cried, clearly feeling betrayed.

"We're sending one victim to the lab a headquarters," the MAR chief said over her radio, "Have a car brought around."

"Please no!" Uiharu begged.

"Just think of this as proving her innocence," the adult said reassuringly, "It will be alright. We have an excellent staff specialist at the lab. Your friend is in good hands. Besides, you shouldn't shout in a hospital."

Uiharu could only look at the ground, clear feeling both betrayed and disappointed.

* * *

Out of concern for their mutual friend, the group traveled to the MAR Headquarters Laboratory to check on Haruee as soon as she her tests were done. The group waited out in the hall, but one would think they were two completely different parties. Kuroko and Uiharu sat on separate couches and refused to talk to one another. Touma tried to talk to them both, but Uiharu refused to even acknowledge his voice. As far as she was concerned, Touma had sided with Kuroko and was just as much of a traitor. Even Mikoto and Saten, the two girls in the group that were neutral in the conflict, were more or less shrugged off.

Uiharu only became some semblance of talkative when Therestina returned to tell them that Haruee's exams were complete. Granted, the results had yet to come in, but she was at least talking again. Besides, Therestina had something she wanted to show them while they waited.

Instead of taking the group straight to Haruee, Therestina showed everyone her office. However, one wouldn't think it was her office at a first glance. The room was full of color, with floor tiles that came in every color in the rainbow. Near the glass wall were several sets of equally colorful shelves on which adorable stuffed toys of various animals were displayed. The latter most detail especially caught Mikoto's attention. As explained by Therestina herself, she decorated the room in such a way that it helped her remember that there were pure and innocent things in the world.

However, Touma couldn't help but feel like the something was off about the room. Even though the entire back wall of the room was glass, the way the light came in made it so only one half of the room, the colorful and cheery half, was lit up. The other half was cast in the shadow of the afternoon sun and was a fairly standard in design. The floors and wall were grayscale and the shelf against said wall were a standard wood with various research binders and notebooks stowed away. That half of the room lacked any personality at all, feeling cold and calculated like some immoral businessman or machine decorated it. For this reason, Touma decided to stand behind Mikoto's seat on the couch when they talked with Therestina. That, and Uiharu was sitting on the opposite side of said couch and probably wanted to be as far from him as possible.

Once they got introductions out of the way for those that have to be properly introduced, Uiharu was rather eager to get her piece out. As soon as she gave her name and status as a Judgement Officer, Uiharu begged the commander of the Multi Active Rescue Team and head of the MAR Research Lab to not taking in Haruee, declaring that she was not the culprit of the Poltergeists. Uiharu acted made her claim purely out of emotion, not providing any solid proof of her friend supposed nonexistent involvement.

Therestina only responded by asking Uiharu for her favorite color, her choice being yellow. The head of MAR then pulled out what appeared to be a tub of colored candies and randomly dropped a single one of said candies into Uiharu's hand. The candy that fell out of the tube was yellow, matching Uiharu's choice. Therestina joyfully took it as a good sign, much to the groups confusion.

Soon enough, Therestina got word that Haruee's results were in. She then led the group to viewing platform for one of the examination rooms, from which they could see an unconscious Haruee laying on a CT scanner. Therestina quickly looked at the monitor of the scanner for the results.

"So, what is it?" Uiharu asked eagerly.

"You can relax now, she isn't the person we're looking for," Therestina replied, much to the group's relief, "You were right about her, she is a Level 2 Telepath. Once more, she's only a receiver, and unable to send out any messages herself."

"But what about the note in her record in the Data Bank saying she had anomalous ability above her level under specific wavelengths?" Kuroko asked.

"Be quiet!" Uiharu snapped, "Let it go!"

"Our examination was quite thorough," Therestina explained, "We found that she is limited to a select number of partners. She can pick up on those people regardless of the distance or obstacles in the way, but she can't hear anybody else. Whatever the case, it simply isn't possible for her to tamper with AIM Fields."

"You see! Told you!" Uiharu cheered triumphantly in a clear I-told-you-so tone.

"I was only doing my job," Kuroko said under her breath.

"Easy there, Pigtails. Let it go," Touma said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder for support.

"Though that still leaves us with the same question," Mikoto noted, "If it's not her, who is the one responsible for the Poltergeisting?"

* * *

Later that day, the unconscious Haruee was moved to a hospital room in the laboratory to rest. She woke up soon enough to find herself surrounded by her friends.

"Hi, Haruee," Uiharu greeted as her roommate opened her eyes.

"Oh, Uiharu," Haruee replied as she sat up, "I guess, I passed out again."

"it's okay," the headband wearing girl reassured, "Everything's okay. You don't have anything to worry about now."

Haruee looked down around her neck and grasped at it, as if looking for something that wasn't there. Uiharu then pulled out of her pocket a familiar silver pendent.

"Here," she said, presenting the pendent to it's true owner, "This pendent is important to you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Haruee said as she took the accessory, "it's a momento of a good friend."

"You mean the one that you told me you were looking for earlier?" Uiharu asked.

"Yes," Haruee replied, "I can hear her, her voice."

"That sounds like Telepathy," Mikoto noted.

"It's only once in a while," the bedridden girl explained, "but when I do hear it, I get lost in I somehow."

"So that explains the weird behavior," Touma concluded.

"Is there a photograph in the pendent?" Uiharu asked.

"Yes," Haruee replied as she opened up the locket for all to see, "See? Her name is Banrii Edasaki."

"it's that girl!" Mikoto blurt out, recognizing the girl from Dr. Kiyama's memories, "I've seen her before."

"You know who Banrii is?" Haruee asked hopefully.

"Well I…" Mikoto trailed.

"There's something else. I'm like her," Haruee revealed, "I'm a Child Error too."

* * *

 **I hope you all liked what I did with this chapter.**

 **I made sure to watch the rest of the arc in its entirety first so I can better plan out how events unfold. There was actually a couple of references to my original plans for this arc before I got a full refresher on how events turned out, forcing me to scrap the idea. I also ended up starting to turn Touma into Cu Cuchulain with his fighting style being based on Cu's battle animations inf Fate/GO. Then again, they have a lot in common when it comes to their luck and women.**

 **I'm already working on the next chapter, so it should be too long before it's released. The poll will stay on my profile until the end of the Sisters Arc, so vote while you still can. Leave a review if you like!**

 **My PV!**


	23. Connections

**Hello internet, welcome to A Certain Strange Addition! The fanfiction that shamelessly rehashes the original story with minor changes in character relations and origins. And apparently also steals the intros of popular Youtube channels.**

 **Anyway, I'm back with another chapter, and this one really starts to shake things up. We've got new revelations, some more detective drama, and a couple of upgrades to certain character movesets. As for what those things are exactly, you'll need to read the chapter for that. I was a bit on the fence for some of these changes, but its my fanfiction so I'll do what I want!**

 **But before we do that, let's do a little Q &A!**

 **X the Reaper: Glad you're liking to story so far. It's always nice to see a new reader. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with what comes next.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: I wouldn't go so far as to make Touma a literal Cu Chullain, but it's certainly an interesting thought. I figured it would be nice to have a bit of interaction between Touma and Therestina. Afterall, anyone's whose read the novels knows how dangerous he can be to a certain family. Don't worry about Touma's speech. That's in this chapter. I was actually working on it when you posted your review. Can't promise it will be too good since I was never one for public speaking myself.**

 **Bluejack222: Well, at least you appreciate the effort.**

 **mohamadstar94: Oh, I'm sure it will be one heck of a ride when I get to it.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Thank you so much. I'll do what I can to meet you expectations for this story.**

 **fencer29: Well, most people don't snap other people's necks for being late. Is that so? Huh, guess my research was a bit off. I'll fix it when I get the chance.**

 **Kim454: I love me some references. So, Accelerator, maybe if I can catch up and figure out the time line. Railgun Daihasei, definite yes. The finale of the Poltergeist Arc will have to wait until it's released.**

 **Guest (1): Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **RPGPersona: Yup, that's exactly what I was trying to convey with that little interaction. True, and that would be why Touma would never consider the possibility that a crush was part of the reason for the intense worry. I actually dive a bit deeper into Uiharu's issue in this chapter, albeit it's a smaller part of the whole chapter.**

 **School (Guest): No, Shizuri will not be reunited with her parents. She made the disconnect for reasons that will be explained later. Much later.**

 **Well, that's it for Q &A. Now for the disclaimer so I don't get in trouble!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 23: Connections

"You're a Child Error?" Uiharu asked her roommate in intrigue.

"Yes, that's how Banrii and I met," Haruee answered, "We were in the same Child Error Facility. I was really shy around other people, so I didn't make friends easily. But for some reason it wasn't as hard to be friends with Banrii. Whenever she spoke to me, it was always through using our Telepathy. But then she was transferred to another facility, and that was it. But lately, I've been hearing Banrii's voice again, just like when we were young."

The bedridden girl clutched her locket tighter, her voice growing shaky.

"She's asking for help, telling me she's in a lot of pain," Haruee continued, "But I… I don't know why. And I have no idea where she is now. I want to help her, but there's nothing I can do."

Tears formed in her eyes, barely on the verge of dropping.

"I wish… I wish I knew where she was."

The girls could only watch quietly as Haruee began to cry. None of them knew what to say in a situation like this. However, it was not the same with Touma. Instead, he averted his eyes from the crying girl and let out a soft, humorless chuckle. Although it was barely audible, the chuckle was enough for Touma to earn the attention of everyone else in the room.

"You okay, Kamijou?" Haruee asked in confusion.

"I'm fine," Touma said, giving Haruee a sad smile, "I just found if ironic how the two of us are in the same boat."

"What do you mean?" Haruee asked again.

"Kamijou came to Academy City with his older sister when they were very young," Mikoto explained, "Because of their ages, they lived in a Child Error Facility until they could live by themselves. However, his sister was transferred to another facility and disappeared, leaving Kamijou without any knowledge of her current whereabouts. We promised to help he locate her after we found out."

"Of course, your situation is by far much better," Touma added, "You have a Telepathic link to Edasuki and her photo. I can't even remember by own sister's face after all these years, let alone a photo."

"That's right!" Uiharu cut in, "I'm sure you'll find your friend. If not, I'll find her for you. I'm a Judgement Officer, it's the least I can do."

"You can?" Haruee asked.

"Of course," Saten added, "Despite her appearance, Uiharu's actually an excellent Judgement Officers."

"'Despite my appearance'?" Uiharu questioned in indignation.

"Oops, sorry," Saten giggled, "My bad."

"Anyway," Uiharu sighed, "Just leave it to me, okay?"

"Thank you so much," Haruee replied gratefully.

In the midst of such a heartfelt moment between friends, Touma couldn't help but notice Mikoto stare at the picture in the locket. In turn, Mikoto took notice of Touma's observations of her and nodded silently to the door. Clearly, she had some sort of hunch regarding the Poltergeist case. The two students quickly excused themselves, asking for Kuroko and Therestina to talk with them in the hall.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Therestina asked.

"Are you familiar with the Level Upper Case?" Mikoto replied.

"The Level Upper? You mean?"

"Yes, Harumi Kiyama was responsible, and I saw into her past," Mikoto explained, "Haruee's friend Edasuki was in the flashback."

"An induced burst experiment to analysis the law of runaway abilities," Therestina said to herself, recalling the case, "It's hard to believe such an experiment would be conducted."

"I know. From what I can tell, the experiment was headed by an old researcher named Kihara," Mikoto continued.

"Kihara?" the head of MAR inquired, "Do you mean Gensei Kihara?"

"Never heard of him," Touma replied.

"He's a scientist. A famous one in so respects," Therestina clarified, "Though mad scientist would be more accurate. I know some of his work. He's not above human experimentation. His current whereabouts are unknown, however. If he actually carried out such an experiment, then it's possible that the children he used are the source of the recent Poltergeisting."

"What do you mean, exactly?" Kuroko asked.

"That all those children have become runaway Espers," the woman replied matter-of-factly.

"How could that happen?" Touma asked with a gasp, "Kiyama was certain the children have been comatose since the experiment to this day. That's way she started the Level Upper fiasco, to make a supercomputer comparable to Tree Diagram so she could figure out how to walk them up."

"What if their abilities are out of control while they're unconscious," Therestina suggested.

"Do you think the interference was not intentional, but rather the accidental result of their unconscious state?" Kuroko asked.

"It certainly is possible," Therestina mused, "Do you three happen to know where the children are now?"

"No, sorry," Touma regrettably replied, "Anti-Skill has been searching for them ever since, but they haven't found anything nor anyone."

"Then I guess finding these kids are our top priority," Therestina replied as she pulled out her tube of candy, "Now, lucky color of the day is pink."

"I think you'll be disappointed," Touma quipped, "Luck is nonexistent when I'm around."

"I'd beg to differ," Therestina said as she dropped a candy into her hand.

Just as she predicted, the candy was pink, a good omen according to Therestina.

* * *

Following their visit to the MAR Research Laboratory, the group took the train back to their dorms. The cart they were riding in was completely empty, save for them. The girls sat on the bench on one side of the train while Touma sat across from them. Like a proper gentleman, he wanted to give the girls some space. Unfortunately, Uiharu seemed to want an extra surplus of space, keeping her distance from the rest of the group. Clearly, she was still a bit miffed about them investigating Haruee. Sad to say, but her mood did not improve as the train ride continued.

As the train ran the tracks, Touma, Mikoto, and Kuroko informed the rest of the group about the new hypothesis regarding the child test subjects involved in Gensei Kihara's experiments. If they wanted to make any progress, they needed to find the children. Naturally, the best way to locate the missing children was to search the net, and the best person to do that was Uiharu.

"Right? You'll look?" Saten asked her friend.

"Of course I'm going to look," Uiharu replied in a near growl, "But I don't like this."

"And why is that?" Touma asked skeptically.

"We've cleared Haruee," Uiharu said, "and now you turn around and start suspecting her friend."

The statement practically froze the air solid. The tension between Uiharu and the rest of the group was so thick you could cut through it like butter. If she wasn't mad at her fellow Judgement Officers before, she certainly was now.

"That's it," Saten snapped, "You're being un-"

"Enough," Touma cut the girl off with a near whisper.

"Kamijou," Saten asked in confusion, "did you say somethi-"

"I said 'Enough of this crap'!" Touma yelled, slamming his fist against the wall of the train.

The girls all jumped a bit at his reaction. It wasn't often that they say Touma snap like he did.

"Do you think we wanted Haruee to be the culprit?" Touma yelled, standing up, "Sorry if you think we crossed a line, but we really didn't have a choice! We had no leads on the case and were practically walking around blind! Investigating a friend is the last thing any of us wanted! Even then, were hoping to find evidence that she was innocent! Unfortunately for us, what little evidence we did have at the time made her the only suspect we had!

"And another thing! When we said we needed to investigate the children involved in the induced burst experiment, we never said anything about them being culprits, just leads! If anything, they're probably just as much victims of this whole case as everyone who got caught in the Poltergeistings! Hell, if the hypothesis is correct, then they're comatose Runaway Espers, literally incapable of doing anything supernatural on their own free will! We're not saying they're the masterminds, we're saying they're being used as the tools!

"You've been giving Kuroko and I the cold shoulder all day just because we connected some dots and followed them! For doing our jobs! It honestly just pisses me off! I'm so annoyed right now I could just punch you right now! I may be an amnesiac, but I don't need my memories to know that I have no issue with hitting a girl when she deserves it!"

"Whoa, calm down, Kamijou," Saten begged as she tried to get Touma to sit down.

Touma took a deep breath before taking his seat. Having calmed down, he made himself comfortable, crossing his arms and turning his head towards a window and away from Uiharu.

"The idea that Kuroko and I were wrong to investigate Haruee is just a lie you told yourself to avoid a situation you couldn't accept," Touma said, "You didn't want to admit that your new friend could have been some sort of criminal, to you deluded yourself into believing that there was no possibility for it to be true. It's honestly not surprising considering what happened to you during the Level Upper Case."

The girls all remembered that particular incident. After becoming so close to Dr. Kiyama, Uiharu found herself as the hostage of the very culprit she was trying to bring in. Anyone would have had a hard time trusting people after something like that, let alone dealing with another betrayal from someone they grew to trust so quickly.

"However," Touma continued, "That's nothing but an illusion. I've done all that I can to show you it, but it's up to you to shatter it. Me punching you in the face with Imagine Breaker isn't going to solve anything."

For the rest of the train ride, the group was completely quiet. After that episode, no one dared to speak up.

* * *

The next day, the Judgement 177 Branch Office was pulling all the stops. Uiharu was going through computer data at a breakneck pace trying to locate the missing children. The ten children that participated in the experiment-gone-wrong were repeatedly transferred individually to different facilities, so they never stayed at the same place for long. Eventually, they're trails disappeared, meaning to was going to take a lot of extra effort to find them. The rest of the office went about their usual business filling out general paperwork and searching for additional information that may be useful to their major case.

Despite the high amount of activity, the office itself was rather silent. Uiharu still refused to talk to Kuroko and Touma, and the same could be said for Touma regarding Uiharu. When the flower wearing Judgement Officer did speak to either of her coworkers, she kept her statements quick and concise and only ever spoke in response to something they said like an offer for coffee or a break. Uiharu was completely focused on her work, only really responding to Konori. Even then, she leads with the same cold front she did with Kuroko and Touma before switching to a much more friendly demeaner when she confirmed who she was talking to.

As for Touma, he just did his work and stayed out of Uiharu's hair. He had nothing he wanted to say the girl, having said everything he needed to the other day. It was up to Uiharu to figure out what he was saying. Unfortunately, her cold demeaner towards him and Kuroko was a clear indicator that her mood had not changed.

'She sure is being stubborn,' Touma thought to himself.

Soon enough, Touma was able to finish all the paperwork he needed to get done for the day. He decided it was about time for him to leave, not wanting to stick around with Uiharu still mad at him and Kuroko.

"I'm gonna head out on patrol," Touma called out to the office as he collected his things, "If you find anything interesting, email me the link."

"Don't worry. We'll keep you noted," Konori replied.

Touma took his leave from the office, planning to take his normal patrol route through District 7. He even considered heading to the Judgement Training Facility to get some more pike practice in.

As he turned the corner to go down the stairs, he saw Saten and Mikoto standing there, like they were considering coming to the office.

"Let me guess," Touma said, "You considered coming to visit, but hesitated when you remembered all the tension between Pigtails, Headband and I."

The stiff laugh he got from the girls was all he needed for an answer.

"Well, I'm about to head out for patrol. Care to join me?" Touma offered.

* * *

Having left the branch office, Touma, Mikoto and Saten wandered the streets of District 7 for Touma regular patrol. Along the way, the girls bought themselves some drinks to keep them occupied while the Judgement kept an eye out for anyone suspicious or in need of help. Naturally, Touma did not have a drink since he needed to stay alert and couldn't afford the extra luxury.

"Thanks for doing this," Saten said, "It's just really hard to be in the office right now."

"Why do you think I left on patrol in the first place?" Touma asked rhetorically.

"You do realize you're part of the problem too, right?" Mikoto inquired, "You were pretty harsh on Uiharu the other day."

"I kind of had to be," Touma admitted, "I may be an amnesiac of a few weeks, but experience has taught me that if you don't stand your ground, no one talks your lectures seriously."

'That, or you emotionally exploit the people ignoring you,' Touma thought to himself, remembering a particular incident with Komoe during one of his remedial classes.

"Still, we need to find those children," Mikoto noted, "Not just for Haruee's sake, but for Uiharu as well."

"Speaking of which, why aren't you in the office doing research on that?" Saten asked.

"Even if we have a big case, we still need to keep the peace in Academy City," Touma explained, "That's where I come in. I'm no where near Pigtail or Headband's level when it comes to computers, so they leave patrol to me for the most part. Besides, I do most of my thinking in when under stress. Nothing like running around the city or physical training to build up that stress. Plus, they said they'll keep me posted for anything they find."

As if on cue, Touma's phone began to ring. Checking the caller ID, Touma expected to find the branch office or one of his coworkers' cellphones. Instead, he found a number that he only saw in passing, one of the hotline numbers for the MAR team. The surprises didn't stop when he answered and found Therestina on the other end of the line. Apparently, she had some troubling news she needed to talk to them about in person.

* * *

"Kiyama is out on bail?!" Mikoto asked in outrage.

The patrol group met up with Therestina at a local café in District 7. Naturally, with the news they had just received, the sweets they ordered from the establishment were a welcome way to ease the tension.

"Yes. I went to speak with her at the detention center about the child experiments, but she had been released," Therestina explained.

"After everything she's done, I can't believe they would let her see the light of day!" Mikoto said aggressively.

"I don't know the specifics about her bail agreement, but it's a done deal," Therestina added as she took a sip of her drink.

"If you ask me, I'd say a higher up had something to do with it," Touma hypothesized, "After all, the city authorized the experiment that put the children in comas in the first place. If Dr. Kiyama is as brilliant as we have been led to believe, then it wouldn't be a surprise that the city would let her out if they could get extra research out of her. If they would let children be put into comas, there's not telling how far the higher ups would be willing to go."

"A solid theory," the grown woman agreed, "But regardless, without her, finding those children will be much more difficult."

"There's something I don't get," Saten added, "Everything Kiyama did was for the sole purpose of rescuing those children. Why would she do all that just to turn around just to use them like this."

"it's not so surprising," Therestina offered, "She did exploit student's desires to increase their abilities for her own ends."

"I guess," Touma conceded, although he didn't sound very convinced, "Thank you for the information."

"It was my pleasure," Therestina replied.

"Well, it's been nice, but I need to get going," Touma said as he collected his things.

"Leaving already?" Mikoto asked.

"Yeah, I've got some training I need to take care of," Touma explained, leaving his share of the costs on the table, "I'll talk to you girls later."

The girls looked on as Touma exited the café, humming a simple tune to himself. However, his face was not that of someone minding their own business. Rather, he had the expression of a predator on the hunt.

* * *

Touma had spent the next couple of hours at the local Judgement training facility working on his crowd control pike. During that time, he used the stress he was putting himself under to consider everything they have learned about the case so far.

First, there was the missing children. There was a total to ten children. Based on Haruee, they would be about middle school age and have been asleep for several years. Due to the experiment led by Gensei Kihara, they have potentially been turned into runaway Espers, causing Poltergeistings at random in their sleep. Naturally, they were victims of the case. They never chose to cause such widespread destruction across Academy City. Following the experiment, they were transferred across multiple facilities before disappearing.

Next, there was the disappearance of Dr. Kiyama, the children's school teacher while they were part of the experiment. Several weeks ago, she started the Level Upper fiasco to create a supercomputer comparable to Tree Diagram after she was denied access to it. She did these things so she could run the simulations needed for her research to wake the now missing children up. As she was the one who was attempting to treat them, it would be natural to assume that she knew where they were. However, her sudden release means that they could not interrogate her for answers.

Next, there was Kiyama's release. The only logical way she could have been bailed out was if someone with a lot of influence was interested in her doing research for them. Coinciding with the recent Poltergeistings, it wouldn't be so farfetched to say she might have something to do with it. At least, that would be the case if it weren't for the fact that using the children would be the last the she would want. It just didn't fit her character.

Finally, there was the information Kuroko had sent Touma about halfway through his workout. According to Gensei Kihara himself, a possible cause of RSPK Syndrome was AIM Diffusion Field Resonance. If an Esper were to suffer from RSPK Syndrome, their AIM Diffusion Field would resonate with those of Espers with similar abilities. Those other Espers would then become Runaway Espers themselves, leading to a mass outbreak of RSPK Syndrome and Poltergeisting. With ten missing Runaway Espers, the number of students in Academy City they could affect would be enormous. If all ten children's powers activated at the same time, it could wipe Academy City off the map.

As Touma continued to contemplate these new-found facts, he grew more frustrated. This was reflected in his training as he progressively stuck the dummy harder and harder. Eventually, his frustration reached its peak he hit the training dummy so hard that it flew across the room. He just couldn't take it anymore. They had found so much information, but it left them with more questions than answers. Not only that, the danger of the case itself was becoming much greater. If they didn't figure something out soon, they would have a lot more on their hands then just a few fake earthquakes.

"Well, that certainly was impressive," a familiar voice said from the entrance of the training room, breaking Touma from his thoughts.

Turning towards the sound, Touma found Yomikawa leaning against the door. She was dressed in her Anti-Skill vest and wore an impressed smirk on her face. It was clear from her body language that she saw his most recent display of his polearm skills.

"Hi, Miss Yomikawa," Touma greeted sheepishly, "Sorry about the training dummy. I'll put it back in a bit."

"Don't be. Your skills with that pike are something you should be proud of," the Anti-Skill Officer replied, "Besides, that's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me," Yomikama said, nodding out the training room.

Touma followed his teacher out the Judgement training facility and through the winding halls of the disciplinary committee building in District 7. Eventually, the pair found themselves in the building's weapons development wing. As they walked through the halls, Touma could see into various labs throughout the wing. Each lab was working on something new to better improve the equipment that Judgement and Anti-Skill use to maintain the peace in Academy City. They were working on everything from new Security Robots, to enhanced Powered Suits, to stronger material for armor and riot shields.

Eventually, Yomikawa led Touma into one of the labs dedicated to crowd control equipment. In the lab were a small handful of Anti-Skill Weapons developers and a single desk. On that desk was a half meter long steel rod and a bracelet made of the same material.

"Miss Yomikawa, what's this all about?" Touma asked.

"This," the teacher replied, presenting the rod and bracelet to her student, "Allow me to introduce to you our latest innovation in crowd control technology. This is the first prototype of our new Omni Defense Device, or ODD for short."

"Well, the name certainly fits," Touma deadpanned, inspecting the contraption.

"Trust me, there's more to it then meets the eye," Yomikawa smirked, "Give me your left hand."

Playing along, Touma held out his left arm for the teacher to inspect. Wordlessly, Yomikawa attached the bracelet to his wrist and dropped the rod into his hand. She then told him to imagine that the rod was one of the crowd control pikes he constantly practiced with.

To Touma's surprise, the moment the thought formed in his head, the rod transformed immediately. The rod extended to four times its original length at a comfortable two meters long. One end of the rod then split apart into three sections before extending again, creating the familiar prongs of a crowd control pike. Naturally, Touma reacted the only way he knew how.

"Whoa."

"Impressive, right?" Yomikawa jabbed, "The bracelet reads your neuro signals and interacts with the ODD to act as the appropriate form. So far, we have a crowd control pike, a staff up to four meters long, a shock baton, and a shock pike listed as possible forms. The device can even home in on the bracelet at the user's command, allowing it to be used as an easily recovered projectile or easily equipped. Of course, this is only a prototype, so more features will be added in later versions."

Touma quickly thought of each form that Yomikawa listed. Sure enough, the ODD responded accordingly, taking the form of each weapon as they came to mind. He then tossed the device a short distance across the room before mentally beckoning it to him. Sure enough, the ODD's miniature thrusters ignited and propelled it into Touma's left hand.

"Nice," Touma complimented, "But, why show me it?"

"As a mentioned, it's a prototype and thus needs some testing," Yomikawa explained, "You've shown exceptional aptitude as both a Judgement Officer and a Level 0, so I figured you would be the best person to give it a field test."

"Surely there's a better choice," Touma insisted, "Like a higher level Esper?"

"Espers rely on their powers far too often," Yomikawa argued, "You on the other hand make do with what you're capable of without a power and create inventive ways to implement other people's powers. I'm certain there is no better for the job."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Touma asked, eyeing the new tool in his hand.

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Yomikawa encouraged, "Use this tool when you think it's best and report back it's effectiveness to us. Will you do this for us? It would be a real help."

Touma gave the tool in his hand one more look before giving his teacher a nod. Even though he handled himself decently enough in a fight through hand-to-hand combat, he couldn't help but feel like he paled in comparison to the likes of Kuroko with her Teleportation or Konori with Clairvoyance. Heck, he may have Judo training, but even that is more suited for quick one-on-one takedowns than dealing with mobs of Skill-Out. Plus, Imagine Breaker was only good against Espers and the occasional sorcerer. Not to mention how useless a fist is against a run-away Security Robot of Powered Suit.

Now with this odd tool, he might just have the edge he needed to up his game.

"I'll do what I can to help," Touma confirmed.

"Good to know," Yomikawa smiled, "Now, you best get home. You may be a Judgement Officer, but you still need to get home by curfew."

"Right. Thanks for everything," Touma said as he walked towards the door of the lab.

However, the second he stepped out of the lab, a single truth dawned on him that he could not deny. He didn't know his way through the weapons development wing.

"Could you show me the way out?" Touma asked sheepishly, turning back towards his teacher.

* * *

It was dark out, and despite being told to head back to his dorm as soon as possible, Touma was still out on the streets. It wasn't like he intended to be late, but he got stopped by a couple of tourists asking for directions to their hotels and Skill-Out causing trouble. Besides, he had a detour he wanted to make first.

Looking at the article Kuroko sent him on his phone, Touma confirmed he was exactly where he wanted to be. He was currently standing in front of one of Gensei Kihara's old abandoned research labs. The entire building was taped off and the power was dead. If Touma wanted to find any more information on the children, this was by far his best bet.

Taking out his new ODD, Touma pointed the tool towards the ground and commanded it to extend to its max length. The pole extended at such a fast speed that it launched him over the wall. He landed on the other side with a thud, causing him a minor inconvenience upon impact. Thankfully, he kept his grip on the pole and was able to retract it immediately after landing.

"I got to work on my landing," Touma lamented, rubbing away the pain in his rear end.

The pain now dulled, Touma circled the building to look for an entrance. Eventually, he found a door, but it appeared to be electronically locked. With the power out, there would be no way for him to open the door. Not like he could do it even if the power was on. Hacking was Uiharu's forte, not his. Touma tried to think of some other way to get in, like using his ODD's shock baton mood to zap the electronic open.

Unfortunately, Touma's train of thought was lost when something fell right on top of him, knocking him to the ground. In addition, he also lost most of the feeling form the waist down.

"Rotten luck," Touma moaned in pain.

"What are you doing here, idiot?" a muffled, female voice asked.

Looking up, Touma saw that the person sitting on top of him was in fact a girl, albeit a rather flat one. She wore a white and pink flower print shirt, a frilly pink skirt with black leggings, and a familiar looking Gekota mask. Given how the girl addressed him and her choice of mask, it was clear who the person was.

"Hey there, Zapper," Touma mock greeted, "Nice of you to drop by."

"Answer the question," Mikoto grumbled.

"Clearly, the same reason as you, investigating Gensei Kihara's old laboratory. Now, could you please get off my back, literally."

Mikoto quickly jumped off of Touma, letting out an "eep" as she did. Touma then picked himself off the ground, rubbing his lower back to sooth the new pain he had developed.

"Thanks," Touma said in a flat tone, "You know, if you were going for discrete, you should have chosen darker colors and a different mask."

"How did you even get in here?" Mikoto asked, ignoring the critique on her disguise.

"New prototype Judgement weapon," Touma replied, twirling said device in its collapsed form before reattaching it to a belt clip on his lower back, "They gave it to me for field testing. Right now, I'm considering suggesting an electric lock bypass feature. Mind giving me a hand with that door."

Thanks to Mikoto's ability, the pair was able to easily get into the facility. As they searched, they made a bit of small talk regarding how the two of them ended up searching the same facility. According to Mikoto, she had to sneak out after Kuroko went to bed and said girl was tossing and talking in her sleep. She apparently was dreaming about Mikoto being rough and Touma being enormous. As much at Touma wanted to deny it, that sounded pretty in line for Kuroko.

After a bit of wandering, they were able to find the room where Kihara ran his experiment. Unfortunately, the room was stripped clean of all of its equipment. However, that was not to say that they didn't find anything.

Not long after finding the room, the two students noticed a flashlight shining from a viewing platform above the them. The light was accompanied by a woman's voice on the phone, a voice that Mikoto vividly remembered. There was someone else in the building, and Mikoto knew exactly who it was.

Mikoto took off running, barely paying Touma a thought. She rushed to the viewing platform with her companion following closely behind before reaching the door of her destination. With her classic roundhouse kick, Mikoto knocked the door wide open, revealing the person she suspected to be in the building.

"Oh, its you two again," the person in question noted.

"I knew it," Mikoto declared, "Harumi Kiyama."

"Can I help you with something?" Kiyama asked.

"Are you responsible for these latest events too?" Mikoto demanded.

"And what would you do if I was?"

Mikoto gritted her teeth and started to spark.

"Stop you, that's what!" Mikoto roared as she unleashed surge of electricity.

"Zapper, wait!" Touma yelled as he reached for Mikoto's shoulder.

Unfortunately, but the time he grabbed a hold of her with Imagine Breaker, it was too late. The electricity she did release was enough to jumpstart the building's electical systems, causing the entire facility to light up and the alarms to blare.

"Hey, what's going on?" Mikoto asked in confusion.

"You idiot! Don't go zapping things in a place like this!" Touma reprimanded, "I swear, your temper is going to get us killed one of these days!"

"How is this my fault?!" Mikoto asked defensively.

"Well that's that," Kiyama sighed, sounding more annoyed than worried.

* * *

After the incident with the security system, the pair of students were forced to accompany Kiyama in her car as she drove them away from the revived alarms. Mikoto sat in the passenger seat while Touma was stuck with the cramped back seat. During the ride, Mikoto tried to interrogate the rouge researcher, a scenario that she found regrettably familiar. Kiyama simply told the students to wait until they reached their destination, in which case she will answer all their questions.

"What is this place?" Mikoto asked upon reaching their destination.

"Seriously? You don't recognize it?" Touma inquired, apparently baffled by his friend's ignorance.

"Come on, lovebirds, this way," Kiyama ordered, making her way into the building.

Despite their strong reactions against such an accusation, especially from Mikoto, the students followed the former teacher into the building that Touma seemed to recognize. After making their way through the building, they found themselves in a room with a large, glass wall. On the other side of that wall was a set of ten hospital beds with ten children. With Kiyama's confirmation, there was no denying who those children were.

They were Kiyama's comatose students.

"I was right," Mikoto noted, clutching her fists "You are the one responsible for all of this."

"I am," Kiyama replied plainly.

Her temper boiling, Mikoto began to form small sparks around her bangs. However, her power was forced to stop when Touma grabbed her shoulder with his right hand. She turned back toward her companion to see him node to his right, directing her to the person in the room other than them and Kiyama. Following Touma's gesture, Mikoto turned to see a certain frog faced doctor standing nearby.

"Huh?" was Mikoto's only response.

"Nice to see you again, doc," Touma greeted his favorite doctor.

"Good to see you again too, Kamijou," the doctor replied, "Especially since you're not here as a patient this time."

"Wait, you knew he would be here?" Mikoto asked in confusion.

"Well, yeah, this is his hospital," Touma replied, "I only come here practically every other week."

"But, why are the children here?" Mikoto demanded, "Why is the doctor involved? What is even going on?"

"Well, as you deduced, Dr. Kiyama here is responsible. However, there is a rather long story behind it," Heaven Canceller explained, "It all started with Gensei Kihara.

To the student's horror, the frog faced doctor went into extreme detail regarding Kihara's experiment. As it turns out, the mad scientist intended to create an object known as an Ability Crystal by collecting neurological secretions of Runaway Espers. Those crystals had the potential increase the strength of a specially selected, giving researchers the chance to achieve the ultimate goal of Academy City. The chance to create a Level 6 Esper, a person that can achieve SYSTEM, the ability to hold the power of God while in a mortal form.

However, such a method was bound to create victims, something that Kihara didn't seem to recognize. He only saw his end goal. The means to achieve it did not matter. As far as he was concerned, his experiments didn't yield victims since there was no one to be victimized. It was as if he did not see any harm in his work. And as everyone in the room could clearly see, there were victims. The children were administered a version of the Ability Crystal, leaving them in the states they were in now.

"Unbelievable," Touma growled, clutching his fist, "All this, just create a Level 6. Just to create a theoretical being. That's why these children are like this?!"

As much as Mikoto wanted to say something, there was noting else that she could say that Touma had not already said. Instead, she found her self starring at her friend as he took all the information in. While Touma probably didn't care too much about it, if there was anything they learned form the Magic Side, it's that names have power. Here was Touma Kamijou, He Who Purifies God and Exorcises the Devil, He Who is Above God, hearing about how some kids became victims of an attempt to create someone who could match God. While Touma was humble to a fault, there was no denying that his tenacity and unique ability could easily make him a match for such a person. Had anyone known of Touma as something other than a Level 0, one might say they found something far superior to a Level 6. He was the boy that undermined God and His blessings just by existing.

"Which is why I'm doing what I can," the frog faced doctor explained, "I hope that my skills as a doctor will allow me to save them. Luckily, it didn't take too much time to get them all transferred into my care. My name carries a certain amount of weight in the town. However, I did need to a specialist about how to revive them."

"That's how you made bail," Mikoto deduced, turning to Kiyama.

"He did me a great favor," Kiyama confirmed, "I'll be forever grateful. Thankfully, thanks to my access to this facility, I have a rough idea of how to revive them."

"You can do that?" Touma asked, a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, there is another problem," Heaven Canceller added.

"It always has to be something," Touma growled.

"As they approach awakening, AIM Diffusion Field readings have abnormal values," Kiyama explained, "They're out of control. They've triggered cases of Multiple Simultaneous RSPK Syndrome."

"It seems Kihara's research hasn't stopped entirely," the medical expert in the room added, "It seems that a new version of the crystal is being used."

"He has turned these children into Runaway Espers," Kiyama continued, "If I try to wake them up, the Poltergiesting they cause will tear the city apart. I'm developing a program to bring their abilities under control, but I need the data on the First Sample, the original Ability Crystal formed from the first human test subject of the experiment, to complete the vaccine program. I went to the laboratory to look for that data, but I couldn't find it. I know it's out there somewhere. It's too important for them to just throw it away. I'll do whatever it takes to find it, I swear."

"And if you can't?" Touma proposed.

"Then I'll still wake them up," Kiyama replied, barely skipping a beat.

"Even knowing what kind of damage it will cause?" Mikoto asked in shock.

"What about Imagine Breaker?" Touma suggested, "I could use my right hand to negate their abilities as you wake them up one by one."

"I'm afraid that won't," Heaven Canceller cut in, "Your ability is impressive, Kamijou, but it's only a temporary solution. You can only suppress their abilities so long as you right hand is touching them. As soon as you let go, there is a high probability that they will return to their Runaway states and cause the Poltergeisting while conscious."

"So there's no way to walk them up safely without the First Sample," Mikoto concluded, "In that case, you can't walk them up! Not like this!"

"I will not allow them to remain like this forever!" Kiyama yelled.

"We understand," Mikoto replied, "But you can't…"

"She's right," a familiar voice said from the other side of the door, "Because I won't let you."

To everyone's surprise, Therestina and several MAR Powered Suits revealed themselves behind the door. Apparently, they had followed Kiyama after the alarm at the abandoned laboratory was set off. The head of the MAR Team had a warrant to collect the children under her team's custody and fully intended to take them regardless of what Kiyama might want. Therestina made a compelling case. If anyone had the resources to help the children, it was definitely the MAR Team.

Kiyama attempted to protest as the Powered Suits approached the children but was stopped by the most unlikely pair. Mikoto stood in front of her with her arms stretched out while Touma stood behind her with his ODD in crowd control pike mode blocking her path.

"What are you doing?" Kiyama asked the students.

"You said that if you didn't like what you were doing, we would have to stop you," Touma reminded her, "I can shift this into a shock baton with a thought, so I'd say stopping you will be easy."

"Let me go, I'm the only one that can save them!" Kiyama demanded.

"But you haven't, have you?!" Mikoto yelled, stopping the former teacher in her tracks, "First it was the Level Upper. Now it's these Poltergiest Attacks. And still, you haven't save a single one of them."

"I'm so close though," Kiyama begged, "I'm just one step away. I have to."

"You know Edasuki?" Mikoto asked, "She's asking for help, even now. We met this girl. Her name is Haruee. She's Edasuki's friend. She can hear her voice."

With that one truth, Kiyama was left completely stunned. After so many years of research, she was given proof that her students could be saved. She was give proof that they were still fighting to wake up.

Now assured that she would not resist, Touma collapsed his ODD and reattached it to his storage clip. With no more obstacles or objections, MAR took the unconscious children into their custody. Touma and Mikoto watched from the side as the children were carried out of their room and away to a new facility. With the children now in much better conditions, the Poltergeisting was sure to stop. However, Touma couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

 **And that's one more chapter done!**

 **Lots of stuff going on here. Touma' got a new toy so crowd combat against non-Espers and non-Sorcerers is sure to be more interesting. I'm thinking something along the lines of Rook Blanko of Ben 10 and Marvel's Thor, while still utilizing his Judo when the ODD is occupied. Maybe even combine with other's abilities.**

 **I hope the speech was passable. I was never one for writing speeches myself, so I'm not entirely sure how well it went.**

 **I'll be honest, when I first wrote in Touma's sister, I had forgotten about Haruee and Edasuki's situation. Regardless, that little detail lined up nicely, albeit unintentionally.**

 **Hope you all liked the chapter. Leave a review if you like!**

 **Don't trust anyone over thirty!**


	24. Human Error

**Here we are again with another chapter. Man, this story is just continuously picking up at this point. With this arc nearing it's end, I'm getting really anxious for future chapters. I can only hope whatever comes next comes together nicely. Still, I must thank all of you for your support in this story. I realize this is mostly a rehash of the original story, but I'm glad you've all been so supportive with constructive criticism and patient regarding potential deviations. Trust me, after this chapter, deviations are really going to pick up. I've been experimenting with ideas for potentially expanded lore that may or may not borrow elements from other franchises. What those expansions will be is still up in the air, but I think they might be quite interesting.**

 **Anyway, let's get some Q &A out of the way so we can get to the chapter itself.**

 **Bluejack222: I can see where you're coming from. Giving Touma a weapon and expanding his combat capabilities was something I was always on the fence about, but I needed some way for him to face off against more science side threats. Since most science mooks are swarms of robots and powered suits, it didn't seem believable for him to fight with just his bare hands. In my defense, the weapon at this point is a prototype, untested, and nonlethal. Glad you liked the chapter though.**

 **ConnivingG: Same. She is actually one of my favorite characters from Railgun. I wish there was more from her.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: As awesome as that all sounds, I don't know what half of that stuff is and I don't think it would be believable. This is a Judgement Issue, Prototype weapon. It wouldn't have anything lethal and the tech should remain within the bounds of reality.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Trust me, I know how well crazy ideas can end up. I regularly read your story, "The Bust Upper Incident". Glad the speech turned out okay. They are such an integral part of Touma's character that I just really don't want to mess up. Thanks for being so patient.**

 **MrQuestionMark: I was a bit on the fence about including ODD, but I'm glad I did and that it was so well received. In the words of BlazingAzureCrow's Abridged Shirou Emiya, "Literally everything has a pipe somewhere probably," and poles are just solid pipes. And we all know how useful Shriou's pipes can be in battle pre-projection. Glad that the speech came out well. Hopefully, I can keep it up with more original speeches in the future.**

 **RedSS: Just a little Taiga Fujimura quote. I'm actually running out of them and have been recycling them.**

 **Kim454: Such high praise, I'm flattered. That thing with the chapter number is a really weird set of coincidences. For the Silent Party and Angel Fall Arcs, I was actually planning on having them occur concurrently like in canon with something like video chats to keep the characters in contact with one another. I felt that having the Railgang along for Touma's trip would be a bit awkward since it's supposed to be a family trip for him while he's laying low after the Sisters Arc. Then again, it would make for some great comedy. Well, I've got time to think about it. Thanks for the timeline help. Glad to have such a dedicated reader.**

 **Generation Zero: Glad you liked the character interactions last chapter. They are always something I try to nail in each chapter. Trust me, Touma's sister will see him soon enough. You might be surprised by how she handles the reunion when it comes around. As for tools like ODD, they will definitely stick around and have a lot of experimentation. I have a couple of other ideas, but those are still on the fence since they might deviate too much from canon.**

 **Guest (1): Yeah, timelines of multimedia works are always a pain. But hey, it's the hell I chose to walk into. Thanks for the timeline help.**

 **SoulReaver267: Glad to have such an enthusiastic new reader. Touma fighting with his new ODD will definitely show up more in later chapters. However, Mikoto being starstruck feels like the least likely reaction from her. She's always had a crush on him but was in denial, so the Accelerator fight isn't a good example. If anything, she'd at most be mildly impressed with a hint of competitive enthusiasm.**

 **Kamijou Touma (Guest): Story of your life, right?**

 **guess (Guest): Eh, to each their own.**

 **Kami (Guest): Glad you're enjoying the story so far. I changing the character dynamics was the main objective of the melding of Index and Railgun, so I'm glad to see that it's being so well received. Hopefully, I can create some unique situations with these new relationships.**

 **mohamadstar94: It might not be what you were expecting, but I think the upcoming fights will be enjoyable. Next is the Sisters Arc, so I will implement elements from both Index and Railgun.**

 **Okay, no more lolly gagging (that actually sounds really perverted now that I think about it), disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 24: Human Error

"So, the ten child subject who have been missing are now securely installed at MAR's laboratory?" Konori asked for confirmation.

The morning after their reunion with Dr. Kiyama, Touma and Mikoto reported their findings to the rest of Judgement Branch 177 and its associates.

"Yes," Touma confirmed.

"So, they've been found, finally," Uiharu said absentmindedly.

"It's that great, Uiharu?" Saten asked, slapping a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," Uiharu replied, still lost in her own thoughts.

"And the woman responsible for the Level Upper incident is behind this situation as well," Konori noted.

"She said she didn't care if the city was destroyed so long as the children were saved? That's a pretty extreme stance, wouldn't you say?" Kuroko mused.

"So, Therestina said she was going to find a way to wake up Edasuki and the others?" Saten asked.

"That's what she said," Touma confirmed, crossing his arms.

"Well, it looks like this case is closed," Kuroko cheered, "Great work, although I do wish you could have handled it a way that fell more in line with protocol."

"That's rich coming from you, Pigtails. You don't exactly do everything by the book either," Touma pointed out before his attention was shifted towards Mikoto.

It wasn't so much what she was doing that drew him in, but rather what she was not doing. After helping him with their report of last night's events, she had kept completely silent.

"Something wrong, Zapper?" Touma asked innocently.

"Huh?" Mikoto replied, shaken from her thoughts, "Oh, no. It's nothing."

"Okay, now I know something is wrong," Touma argued, "You hate it when I call you 'Zapper'. The only times you don't react is if something is bothering you or you have some other target for your anger."

"I think I know what's going on. You're still concerned about Kiyama and unconvinced that taking the children away from her was the right move," Kuroko deduced, "Am I right?"

"I'm just not sure," Mikoto replied weakly.

"Then be sure. You made the right choice," Kuroko encouraged, "At least that's what I believe."

"Besides, you're not the only one that feels bad for her," Touma added, "I was holding her at taser-point and threatened her unless she gave up on her sole purpose for all these years. Which is ironic, since you're usually the one doing the former."

"That terrible joke aside," Mikoto grumbled, "I guess you're right. Not much we can do about it now anyway."

"Still, that was reckless of you two!" Kuroko suddenly snapped, "It's bad enough that Sissy pulled another vigilante stunt, but you too, Kamijou?! I expect better from my student!"

"Sorry, Kuroko, geez!" Mikoto snapped back, trying to calm down her roommate.

As the pigtailed girl continued to rant at her seniors, Saten shoved Uiharu out the door. The more energetic of the two girls insisted that her friend go visit her hospitalized roommate. Despite the young girl currently yelling at him, Touma couldn't help but watch as the flower wearing girl was sent off to meet her friend. Everything should have been fine now, but part of him still felt like something was off. Call it instinct, a sixth sense, or just pure speculation, he just didn't feel right about the situation. A glance at Mikoto when she noticed Uiharu leave told him she felt the same.

Once Kuroko had finished ranting at her friends for their recklessness, everyone returned to their usual routines at the office. Konori and Kuroko got straight to work on their computers to deal with all of the records they would need to sort out with the Poltergeisting Case closed. Mikoto and Saten simply lounged around the office, not having anything better to do. Saten did however brew a couple cups of tea for everyone, just to show her appreciation for everything that had happened recently.

The only person not quite back to normal was Touma. Rather than doing his paper work, Touma distracted himself by flipping through his journal. Whenever something bothered him, he found it therapeutic to just skim through the book and glimpse at the past he had forgotten. Besides, he might just find some answers to his predicament in his old entries. Part of the journal's pages were dedicated to dealing with his misfortune.

"What'cha doing?" Saten asked, offering Touma a mug.

"Thanks," Touma replied, taking a sip.

He paused for a moment to appreciate that Saten went out of her way to prepare his favorite brand of coffee just the way he liked it; black, no sweeteners.

"I was just going through my journal," Touma explained, "It helps me clear my head."

"Anything interesting in there?" Saten inquired.

"If I did find anything like that, I wouldn't tell you," Touma quipped, "You're not exactly the best at keeping secrets."

"What about Imagine Breaker, or magic?" Saten countered.

"Well, according to this, during the Level Upper Case, you ended up telling the AIM Burst about Imagine Breaker, making it more cautious of me," Touma replied, gesturing to his entry on the incident.

"As if that one was might fault," Saten complained, feigning offense.

Touma chuckled as he continued to flip through his journal, going farther back into his forgotten past. At random, he stopped on a certain entry regarding his lost friend, Yuri. Apparently, it was from the last time the two childhood friends saw each other. The two boys had said their goodbyes and promised to find each other again someday. Afterwards, Yuri parted ways with his friend as he drove off in a car with a researcher. However, it was the name of the researcher that caught Touma's attention, Amata Kihara.

'The researcher who studied Yuri's ability was a Kihara?' Touma thought to himself in shock.

There was so much going through Touma's head at that moment. Did Amata have any relationship to Gensei? Were they all researchers? Did they all have amoral views on research? Was Yuri subjected to similarly terrible experiments as Kiyama's students? Touma had so many questions, he almost didn't hear Saten talking to Uiharu over the phone.

"Hey Uiharu, it's Saten. Where are you? … What's wrong?" Saten asked, quickly growing concerned, "What's the matter? Uiharu? Come on, I can't understand through all the sniffling. What is it?"

* * *

"Her name is Therestina Kihara? Are you sure that's what she said?" Kuroko asked her flower wearing girl, "And what about Kiyama? What about her?"

"I don't know," Uiharu replied, still crying, "She… went… somewhere…"

"Take it easy," Saten said, attempting to comfort her friend, "It will be okay."

"Found her," Konori called out from the computer, "Yes, Therestina Kihara Lifeline. Gensei Kihara's granddaughter… oh my."

"What, is there more?" Kuroko asked.

"She's included in the personal data from Kihara's lab from the time he wrote his thesis," Konori explained.

"So, she was his research assistant?" Touma assumed.

"I would think so," Konori replied, "Wait, it says here Therestina was the first test subject for the Ability Crystal."

"What?!" Touma asked in shock.

"How can that be?" Konori pondered.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You're saying that Kihara's first human test subject was his own granddaughter and that Therestina helped with his research, the same woman that has the Child Errors under her protection?" Saten surmised, "What's going on?!"

Touma just stood there, taking in everything that he was hearing. Once again, the wool was pulled over during a big Judgement case. Once again, the person they trusted to be their guide was the criminal mastermind all along. Once again, they failed to see it coming. Even worse, there seemed to be an even bigger game at play, and the name of the game masters seemed to be Kihara. Three times now, someone by the name of Kihara was responsible for the suffering of others in the name of research. First there was Yuri, who had long since gone missing since Amata Kihara took him in. Then there was Dr. Kiyama, who was strung along by Gensei Kihara to take part in an experiment that put her students in comas. Finally, there was Therestina Kihara Lifeline, the granddaughter of the mad scientist that assisted in his research and now has taken the comatose Child Errors as potential lab rats.

Touma was so lost in thought, it barely registered in his mind when Kuroko slapped the crying Uiharu to get her to focus and do her job. He did however notice that a certain Electromaster was completely quiet the entire conversation and had gone missing. It was all too clear where Mikoto had gone, just as it was clear where Touma needed to be.

Touma made his way towards the door, making no efforts to hide his intentions.

"Kamijou, where are going?" Konori asked, stopping him just before he opened the door.

"Sorry, chief," Touma apologized as he called his ODD to him from his desk, "There's somewhere I need to be."

Without another word, Touma left the office, his destination clear.

* * *

As Touma approached the MAR Research Lab, he was greeted by four bits of suspicious behavior. First, there were the two MAR trucks that seemed to have come from the facility, almost begging to be followed. Next, there was the high-pitched ringing that he recognized as Capacity Down, the same weapon Skill-Out used to incapacitate Espers. Then was the roaring thunder, something that should not be possible on such a clear day. Finally, there was the explosions and plums of smoke coming from the facility just ahead of him. At that point, Touma had started running at full speed.

When he finally arrived at the facility's front gate, he was greeted by the sight of Mikoto being strangled against a concrete pillar by a purple Powered Suit wearing Therestina. Acting on instinct, Touma took out his ODD and shifted it into its crowd control pike mode. He lifted the weapon over his right shoulder in a reverse grip and pulled back before letting the improvised javelin at his target.

"Let her go!" Touma yelled as he let the weapon fly.

Although surprised by his sudden appearance, Therestina quickly dropped the now passed out Mikoto and turned to face the high school boy. She managed to shield her face from the flying Omni Defense Device, preventing any injury. However, she was thrown slightly off balance as the weapon bounce off her mostly harmlessly.

"Well, if it isn't the Certain Strange Addition to Judgement," Therestina mused, "You here to save your little girlfriend?"

"I came for answers," Touma declared, ignoring the girlfriend comment, "Why are you so involved in this? Is the entire Kihara Clan a pack of psychotic, immoral scientists? What's your relationship to Amata Kihara?"

"Funny, she asked a lot of the same things," the woman sneered, "You two really are a match made in heaven, aren't you? Like I told the brat, I don't have to answer to anything. At least she had the guns to try and stand up to me. Based on the fact you're not collapsing on the ground with Capacity Down active, you're clearly not an Esper. Not only that, you've also already tossed you're only weapon at me. What do you plan on doing now, punch me in the face?"

"If that's what you want!" Touma yelled as he took of sprinting.

As the Level 0 charged at her, Therestina took a few steps forward and lazily reloaded her grenade launcher. As she took aim, Touma stretched out his left hand and mentally called for his ODD to return to him. The device flew right past Therestina and knocked her firing arm off target by a few degrees. This interference in her shot caused the grenade to fly past Touma's face, barely missing him.

As the explosive detonated behind him, Touma used the shockwave to accelerate himself forward and retrieve his recalled weapon. Just before closing the distance between him and his opponent, Touma shifted his ODD to its crowd control pike form and swung it down on Therestina's head. With him right on top of her, the head of MAR was forced to discard her grenade launcher and defend herself with both hands.

Therestina could hardly believe what she was experiencing. By all lines of logic, someone in Touma's situation would not charge headfirst into a one-on-one confrontation like this. His opponent was heavily armed and armored, he had no special ability with offensive purposes, and he was only armed with a nonlethal prototype weapon. Anyone could see this was a no-win situation and the only option was to flee and hope you were not caught. Instead, Touma stood his ground and made the first attempt to go on the offensive. Even if she didn't take that attempt very seriously at first, the boy clashing with Therestina and used every advantage he could get to achieve a nearly impossible outcome. The odds were staked against him, but he still thought they were good enough to bet on.

"You're a really piece of work, you know that, brat?" Therestina snarled, "You must be insane to think you have a chance of winning this fight in your condition and still advance somehow."

"I don't need to hear that from a psycho like you!" Touma cried as he broke away from the interlock.

He pulled his ODD back in his right hand and shifted it into its shock baton mood. As if wielding a sword, Touma swung the weapon towards his opponent's head, intending to zap her brain into unconsciousness. However, Therestina caught the weapon in her armored left hand, stopping the attack dead in it's tracks. Despite the powered suit clearly being electrocuted, it was well designed, much like everything else in Academy City, with electrical insolation for the inner workings and the surfaces touching the operator.

With her opponent now trapped, Therestina grabbed Touma by his neck and hoisted him up. To her surprise, rather than try to struggle out, Touma attempted to retaliate by swinging his left fist at her face. Luckily, the head of MAR was holding him far away enough so that his fists could not reach him. In all honesty, it was a rather smart move. Anyone with some common sense would know that prying open a mechanical hand with their bare hands would be a fruitless endeavor. Instead, Touma attempted to take out his attacker to render her chokehold moot. It starkly contrasted from his nearly senseless charge at her at the beginning of the fight.

"I really don't understand you. You seem to be reckless, but then show signs of having some form of logic in battle. It just doesn't make sense," Therestina mused, "Regardless, I have more important things to take care of. I'll just leave you with her!"

Therestina threw Touma into the concrete pillar of the building, placing him right next to the passed out Mikoto. Despite the pain in his back, Touma propped himself up with his ODD and face Therestina. However, his view was cut off when a group MAR powered suits surrounded him.

"They will take care of you two and take you in for testing," Therestina laughed, "Have fun trying to get away!"

"Get back here! I'm not done with you!" Touma yelled as the powered suits closed in on him and Mikoto.

Left with no other options, Touma took is usual spearman's stance in front of the unconscious girl. While he was somewhat confident in his ability to fight a singe powered suit when minimally armed, he did not like his chances with five of them. Not to mention he had a liability on his side as well.

'Rotten luck,' Touma thought to himself as he analyzed his situation.

"Just a moment," a female voice interrupted.

Everyone conscious and present turned to a girl in a hospital gown that Touma recognized from his journal.

'Isn't that the airhead from my journal?' Touma asked himself.

"I'll have you know that those two are some very good friends of mine," the supposed airhead declared, flashing a green fan across her face, "And you do not what to cross Mitsuko Kongou of Tokiwadai Middle School."

'Yup that's her,' Touma confirmed, recognizing her speech pattern in his notes regarding her quirks.

"Get lost, brat," one of the powered suit operators demanded, "This is official business, so go back to your hospital room until we clear you for release."

As the surrounding powered suit operators distracted themselves with telling Kongou off, Touma discreetly collapsed his ODD into it's portable form and picked up Mikoto on his back. Despite of the pain, he bared Mikoto's weight on his shoulders. Waiting for the right moment, he watched as Kongou picked up a nearby pebble and applied her ability to it. With the ability Aero Hand, Kongou created an ejection point of air on the pebble and released it, launching the pebble like a small missile. While it was nothing compared to Mikoto's railgun, it had enough force to knock one of the powered suits off it's feet upon impact and shack to others off balance as they collided like a trail of dominos.

"Run!" Touma yelled to Kongou as he took of running for the facility gate.

Realizing what Touma was planning, Kongou complied and followed after him in suit. Unfortunately, the powered suit operators quickly recovered and gave chase as well. Noticing this, Touma spotted a turned over van with an exposed gas line. Extending his ODD into its pike form, Touma swung at the gas line as they ran past it, causing oil to leak out.

"Nice thinking," Kongou complimented, "but an oil slick will only slow them down."

"Good thing that's not the plan," Touma replied, offering the back end of his ODD to her, "I need you to create an ejection point right here. Lots of pressure in a quick burst for maximum velocity. Release it when I give the signal."

Although not entirely sure what Touma had in mind, Kongou complied and did what she was asked to do. As soon as they were past the gate, Touma stopped to find that the powered suits did indeed slip on the oil slick and were in a pile on the ground. Seeing his chance, Touma lifted his ODD over his right shoulder in a javelin position and shifted it to electric pike mode.

"Now!" Touma yelled as he threw the weapon.

Normally, a javelin throw would be pretty much impossible with someone on the thrower's back. However, Kongou's boost was just enough to give the weapon the velocity it needed to reach its target. As soon as the electric tip of the weapon struck the oil slick, the surrounding area caught fire and the air ejection point Kongou created on the weapon ran out. Touma instantly recalled his ODD to his left hand, just in time for the flames to trail back to the truck they originated from and detonate its fuel source, catching the powered suits in a giant explosion.

While some might call this course of action overkill, Touma knew that those powered suits were made to be resilient. The pilots wouldn't be hurt, but the suits they were operating would definitely be put out of commission for the time being.

"Come on," Touma ordered as he carried Mikoto away from the MAR Research Lab, "Let's get Zapper here some medical attention. I know a really good doctor."

* * *

After getting Mikoto to Heaven Canceller's hospital, she woke up in one of the hospital rooms to find herself surrounded by Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten. After filling her in on everything that had happened since she passed out, Mikoto realized that she still had unfinished business with Therestina and attempted to leave.

"Sit back down, Sissy. You need to rest some more," Kuroko begged.

"Get out of my way," Mikoto ordered, "I don't have time to lounge around in bed now. I need to go. I need to help the children."

"You're staying here, Sissy," Kuroko insisted.

"Kamijou was right. I was an idiot to go zapping things inside of a dead laboratory like I did," Mikoto lamented, "I found the children, but I led Therestina straight to them as well. And now they're all gone. They're gone and it's entirely my fault. Don't you see? I have to stop her and make this right, so stand aside, Kuroko!"

Mikoto pushed her roommate to the side and trudged her way to the door. However, before she could reach it, the door opened on the other side, revealing Touma blocking her path. He was in a worse than Mikoto, having bandages wrapped around his head and over his chest and right shoulder. He had his summer uniform lazily thrown over his upper body, exposing his chest and showing clear signs of a hasty arrival.

"Idiot, what do you think you're doing out of bed like that?!" Mikoto reprimanded.

"Let's be honest, this is not the worst condition you've caught me in. I've lost my memories and an arm within a few days of each other," Touma replied flatly, "Besides, you're in no condition to be saying that either."

"Just get out of my way," Mikoto demanded, "I'm not going to let you stop me. This is my responsibility."

"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm just give them a chance to," Touma clarified, nodding behind her.

Mikoto turned around to see all their friends looking back at her with sad and worried eyes. Without words or even Telepathy, they confided their thoughts on to her, leaving Mikoto with a sense of shame and regret.

"I'm sorry," Mikoto apologized, hiding her eyes behind her hand, "I was being selfish, and I've gone and caused trouble for all of you again."

"It's no trouble at all," Saten insisted, "But I'd rather fight together with you than worry about you all on your own again. That's what makes me so glad that Kamijou went after you when you went missing."

"Saten's right," Uiharu agreed, "And the rest of us are here for you too."

"Don't feel bad about being acting selfishly either," Touma added, "While I did go to help you, I had my own reasons as well. I thought I found a lead to finding my friend Yuri when I learned that Therestina was a Kihara, but it only gave me more of a reason to help you. Being selfish should be a reason for you to want your friends involved."

Mikoto looked around the hospital at her friends before giving them all a warm smile.

"Yeah, you're all right," Mikoto said, "Thanks, everyone."

"You're next, Uiharu!" Saten declared, "You'll apologize to Shirai and Kamijou! Tell them you're sorry for how you've been treating them through all this."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Uiharu protested.

"You guys too, Shirai, Kamijou!" Saten added, "Both of you apologize for slapping and yelling at Uiharu, respectively."

The three Judgement Officers gave each other a look before giving their apologies.

"I'm sorry for how I behaved," Uiharu said meekly.

"Yeah, me too," Kuroko replied.

"Same," Touma added.

"And Kamijou, button up your shirt," Saten demanded, "You look like the protagonist of a battle harem story!"

"Right! Sorry!" Touma yelled embarrassedly as he quickly fixed his shirt.

"So, don't you have something you'd like to say to me as well?" Kongou asked, having barged into the room while no one was paying attention.

"Yeah," Mikoto said gratefully, "Thanks, Kongou."

"It was nothing," Kongou insisted, hiding behind her fan.

'She really is an airhead," Touma thought to himself.

* * *

After checking Touma and Mikoto out of the hospital, the group regrouped at the 177th Branch Office. Through collaboration with Anti-Skill, the Judgement Branch got to work on tracking down the missing children. Uiharu and Kuroko manned the computers, working through every surveillance device in Academy City they could access to track down their targets. Konori and Touma oversaw snacks, providing the team with the sustenance they needed to get the job done. Mikoto and Saten were on stand-by, overlooking the information being brought in and preparing for whatever confrontation they may be faced with. Kongou was just there, having tagged along for no real reason other than that she was lonely.

They eventually located MAR trailers they believed to be carrying the children on Urban Expressway 5, in route to District 17 and one of Gensei Kihara's private research facilities. Based on satellite footage, they determined that Dr. Kiyama was also tailing the suspected trailers, clearly intent on saving the children herself. With a clear objective in mind, the group equipped themselves appropriately for what was sure to be the final confrontation. In addition to a couple of ear pieces, Konori donned her old leather jacket, Saten grabbed a metal baseball bat, and Touma equipped himself with his Omni Defense Device. With everyone properly equipped, the team headed out.

"All right then," Mikoto declared as she led everyone one out the office, "Let's get going."

* * *

 **And that's that! Next chapter is the penultimate chapter of the Poltergeist Arc, so keep an eye out for that! Not a lot happened this chapter, but I think the short fight was decent enough. At the very least, it sets up the final chapter well enough.**

 **Did any of you catch the MCU reference? I'm so hyped for Infinity War that it's seeping into my writing.**

 **Anyway, see you all for the final chapter of the Poltergeist Arc!**

 **Humans are multimedia.**


	25. Final Chase

**Here it is, the final chapter of the Poltergeist Arc. I'm starting to notice a trend here. Every time I reach the end of an arc, I write the second to last chapter and then finish the final chapter three days later. Guess I get so excited for the finale that I can't wait to post the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, final Poltergeist Arc chapter. I think you're all going to like this one. Plenty of action, heart, comedy, and payoffs from previous chapters in this one. How accurate I am in that prediction is up to you guys I guess. For now, let's get the Q &A out of the way.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad you liked the fight. A lot of Touma's fights in canon appeared to have him utilize creative tactic involving his surrounding and using his opponents' abilities against them, like how he used cement mix to render Etzali's magic useless or threw rocks at Accelerator to use his ability to launch him away from the dust explosion. I wanted to give Touma something that was lacking in power, but had plenty of versatility for creative tactics. Hopefully, I can keep up that style of fighting in this chapter.**

 **teamxcution: Yeah, I'm excited for the Sister's Arc too. I already have a couple of plans set for how the arc unfolds, but I'll be sure to consider some of your ideas for it. Now I just need to watch the entirety of the Arc across both versions of the show so I have a clear idea of how events originally unfolded. Yeah, I'm gonna have my work cut out for me.**

 **Kim454: I'll have to watch both arcs again, but I remember the two arcs running over the same period of time. I could be wrong, so I'll wait until I can get a proper time table put together before I make any promises on how the arcs will be handled. Man, I'm just asking for punishment now, aren't I? I have toyed around with the idea of Touma being present for the entirety of the Silent Party Arc, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.**

 **ahsoei: I think you'll find this chapter interesting, to say the least.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Touma has always been creative with his tactics. ODD just helps to extenuate that point. Unfortunately, Therestina doesn't get to learn too much about Touma this time around, but she might get another chance during the Silent Party Arc. Let's just say everything happens a bit too fast for her to come to any conclusions on Touma. Let's be honest, Touma just pulled the battle-torn look really well.**

 **RedSS: What is this? FanficSins? Also, the reference was Touma's line about his medical condition. It parallel's Tony's line, "Let's be honest, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing" when Pepper found him trying to take off the Mark III after the Gulmira fight.**

 **Generation Zero: Well, Touma's always had a sixth sense when it comes to danger. If he was a Nasuverse Servant, he'd probably have Mind's Eye (True) B at the minimum. Fight scenes were never my strong suit, but I'll try to keep it up in future chapters. Funny enough, I have toyed with the idea of giving Touma some sort of protection in the future to help keep him from getting too beat up when fighting. It wouldn't something extremely high tech, but it would be something unique at the very least. Yeah, knowledge of Amata will definately shake things up in the future.**

 **mohamadstar94: Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **GhostofTime: For the children!**

 **Guest (1): You know the "A Certain" franchise. All throw away lines have some sort of truth behind them.**

 **Bluejack222: Touma slightly more aggressive behavior should be expected. As a Judgement Officer, he has a personal obligation to keep the city safe, more so than he normally would. Couple that with a massive city wide threat and personal connections, and he's sure to be a bit more on edge and aggressive that he normally would be. Also, I think you're underselling Touma's fighting style a bit here. He has never been above fighting dirty and is known for unique battle tactics that make use of environmental tools and his opponents' abilities, like when he used cement mix to render Etzali's magic useless or used Accelerator's vector manipulation to launch himself away from the dust explosion. Also, you wanted me to give Touma a power glove? That is like the most counterproductive things I could have done! You wanted me to basically give to give Touma something to cover his hands, making it impractical for him to use Imagine Breaker, his only supernatural ability. ODD give Touma versatility for his unique tactics, expanding on his preexisting skill set.**

 **Avid Reader 0007 (Guest): Glad you like the story. Things are definetly going to shake up during the Sisters Arc.**

 **Q &A are out of the way, let's get to the disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 25: Final Chase

Dr. Kiyama chased the two MAR trucks down Urban Expressway 5 at top speed. She disregarded every traffic law in Academy City and pushed her sports car to the limit for the sole purpose of catching those two trucks. If her hunch was right, her students were on board for another experiment from the think tank that was the Kihara Clan. That family had pushed her around for the last time. Kiyama was going to save those children no matter what. She swore it.

However, she was rather shocked when the walls of the trucks unfolded, revealing them to be filled with MAR Powered Suits, each one of them manned with a grenade launcher. One of the Powered Suit Operators knocked open the back door of one of the vans and aimed straight for the researcher-turned-teacher. Unfortunately for MAR, the trucks were tossed aside by a surge of electricity, clearing a path for the despite teacher.

"What was that?" Kiyama asked as she brought her car to a screeching hault.

She stepped out of her car and looked back to see Mikoto, Kuroko, and Uiharu all standing before the debris, no doubt having arrived via Kuroko's Teleportation.

"What are you doing? Why the hell did you choose now of all times to interfere?!" the doctor demanded, "Answer me!"

Her answer was delayed by the sudden arrival of Konori, Saten, and Touma on the Judgement Branch Chief's personal motorcycle.

"Dr. Kiyama, those trucks are only decoys!" Uiharu explained.

"The children are on another set of truck to a difference facility," Saten added.

"What? Then whe- Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" the baggy eyed teacher protested as Uiharu and Saten let themselves into her car.

"Just get in the car and follow Uiharu's directions," Touma ordered, activating his ODD, "We'll make sure nothing stops you from reaching your students."

Kiyama gave the students a confused looked, which was returned with a stern and determined look from Mikoto. Seeing as complying was her best option, Kiyama got into her car and drove down the expressway, leaving the four remaining students behind.

During the time that the students were getting Kiyama away, the remaining Powered Suit Operators recovered and prepared to attack. The students did the same, but where caught off guard by the sudden appearance of two helicopters armed with Gatling Guns.

"Helicopters, huh?" Kuroko mused nervously.

"Yeah, I can't fight those with a stick," Touma lamented.

However, the helicopters were quickly knocked out of the sky by an apparently self-propelling MAR truck.

"I recognize that ability all too well," Kuroko said with a hint of disgust.

"I think you can relax now, the cavalry is here," Kongou introduced herself, "Try not to be intimidated by my ability. Aero Hand will make swift work of our opponents."

"That was good timing!" Mikoto noted before being teleported on to Konori's bike.

"Go on, we can take care of this," Kuroko insisted as she pulled out a massive belt of her iconic pins from her bag, "You go catch up with Kiyama and the others, Sissy."

"Kuroko…" Mikoto whispered.

"Just go," Touma ordered, taking a spearman's stance, "We can't call ourselves Judgement Officers if we let a Level 5 do all the heavy lifting for us. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Alright then," Mikoto agreed, "But you two better catch up, or you'll answer to me!"

"You know I hate doing that more than anything else," Touma quipped.

"Who would dare assult me? I am Kuroko Shirai of Tokiwodai, partner of great Railgun!"

"Hold on, that phrase sounds suspiciously familiar," Kongou complained, but was quickly shut up when two Powered Suit Operators aimed their grenade launchers at her.

Acting quickly, Touma threw his ODD at the space between the Powered Suits. As soon as the weapon cleared the gap, Touma called it back and forced it to stay extended. The still extended weapon knocked the MAR agents on their backs as it made its way back to Touma's left hand.

"Go!" Touma yelled as he and Kuroko charged in while Konori and Mikoto drove off.

As the two Judgment Officers charged, another MAR agent fired their grenade launcher at them. Kuroko teleported away while Touma's battle-hardened sixth sense allowed him to bat the explosive back at its sender. The grenade detonated at the Powered Suit's feet, knocking it off balance and cloaking it in a smoke screen. The suit's operator looked around confused, desperately trying to get his baring. Unfortunately, he felt his knees buckle underneath him before he was hit in the back of the head with a blunt force, knocking him down. When the smoke cleared, Touma stood behind the fallen suit, his ODD right where the suit's head was a second ago.

'It may be power armor, but it's still armor,' Touma mused to himself, 'and everyone knows the joints are always the weak points in any armor.'

He didn't have time to celebrate for long. His sixth sense went off again, alerting him of another Powered Suit Operator aiming his grenade launcher at him. Touma rolled to the side, barely managing to dodge the explosion. Before the attacker could fire another shot, several pins teleported into the gun, jamming it and setting the grenade off prematurely.

"You okay?" Kuroko asked in concern, appearing next to Touma.

"I've been worse," Touma admitted as he picked himself up off the ground.

Two more suits approached the Judgement Officers, guns loaded. However, they were easily knocked aside when an third, Aero Hand propelled Powered Suit crashed into them.

"I do hope that is not the best you can do, Kamijou," Kongou mused as she approached her allies, "Not after that display earlier today."

"Don't worry, I'm good," Touma replied, taking a spearman's stance.

"I must say, I never expected we would work together," Kuroko admitted, solely focused on Kongou.

"We can use this opportunity to settle something. Whose ability is superior," Kongou boasted, confidence oozing from her voice.

"Focus up, ladies," Touma interrupted, stepping forward against the swarm of Powered Suits approaching them, "We've got a lot of rouge suits to take in."

As the MAR Powered Suits approached, the three students charged individually into the fray. Each of the students took on several Powered Suits, using their abilities, Esper and natural, to their fullest. Kongou ran across the expressway slapping air ejection points on every Powered Suit she could get her hands on. Those suits were sent flying at other suits, knocking out multiple opponents with single attacks. Kuroko teleported every few seconds, throwing the suits off balance as they tried to track her down. With the pilots confused, Kuroko teleported several pins into each of their weapons, jamming them and detonating their ammunition.

Touma ran through the horde of suits, using his various martial arts skills to disable them. He aimed for the joints in the legs, causing suits to collapse as they folded in on themselves. He struck his oppenents with both his ODD and his limbs, either using the weapon to deliver the blow or tossing it aside to distract and disorient his foes so he could strike. Touma made especially effective use of his ODD's return function, purposefully putting several suits between him and his weapon so it would collide with the suit during the return trip.

As the number of active Powered Suits ran thin, Kuroko found herself down to her last pin. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing Kuroko had to worry about.

" _Shirai, it's Therestina!_ " Konori cried over the commlink, " _She ambushed us and is now chasing after Misaka and the others in a mech suit!_ "

"Go help the others," Touma insisted, "You're down to your last pin anyway. Don't worry, we've got this."

"What about you?" Kuroko asked.

"I'll catch up, I promise," Touma replied, "Just go!"

"Alright then. Konori, I'm coming your way," Kuroko said over their commlinks as she teleported away,

"Ready for another bout?" Kongou inquired.

"I can do this all day," Touma retorted, breathing heavily, "Why, getting tired?"

"As if I, Mitsuko Kongou of Tokiwodai Middle School, would get tired from something as simple as this," Kongou boasted.

Up ahead, several more Powered Suits approached, organized in two marching lines.

"Looks like they're lining up," Kongou noted.

"Well, they're excited," Touma replied as he kneeled and held his ODD in electric pike form over his shoulder.

Kongou wordlessly followed suit, applying an ejection point on the bottom end of the makeshift javelin. With the preparations in place, Touma released his weapon as Kongou sent it rocketing towards their opponents. As the weapon flew, Touma mentally set the electrical output of the taser function to max, making it so electricity would jump to the nearest conductor if it was sufficiently close enough. The speed at which the ODD flew created a shockwave, knocking the Powered Suits to the side. In addition, the electrical current left the Powered Suit's fried, rending them offline. With the last of the Powered Suits dealt with, Touma recalled his weapon, stowing it away upon recovering it.

"Looks like that's the last of them," Touma noted.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by thunderous boom coming from where everyone else had headed off to. Turning around, he saw a giant pillar of orange light cut through the sky before fading away.

"I take it you handled Therestina, Zapper?" Touma asked over the commlink.

" _What? Did you think I could only fire coins?_ " Mikoto asked in reply.

"I was more concerned about you aiming your railgun at me then what you used as ammunition," Touma admitted, "I'll contact Anti-Skill to get these guys processed. Looks like I won't be there to see you wake up the children."

" _Anti-Skill is already on its way_ ," Konori interrupted, " _Don't worry about protocol, I'll take care of everything._ "

"You sure, chief?" Touma asked.

" _You helped find the children in the first place. You deserve to see them again after everything that happened_ ," Konori insisted, " _Unfortunately, you'll have to take care of transportation. I'd lend you my bike, but I need it myself while I work with Anti-Skill to get these guys processed. Besides, you don't have a license._ "

"Rotten luck," Touma groaned, "Well, whatever. I'm short on cash so I can't use a cab, but I'll think of something. I'll see you girls at the site."

" _Alright then, Kamijou. We'll see you then_ ," Kuroko said.

"Yeah, Misfortune out," Touma replied before dropping the line.

Touma's eyes wandered the battlefield as he racked his brain for some sort of solution. Eventually, a sheet of metal from one of the trucks caught his attention. It was a little under two meters long and a little under half a meter wide. One end of the sheet was bent at a right angle while the other end was rounded and curved up slightly. His eyes then wandered over to Kongou, who returned a confused look.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I was just wondering," Touma said, a plan forming in his head, "How long can you make an ejection point last?"

* * *

"Girls, I'm almost at the facility," Touma called over the commlink, "How are you on the children?"

" _Uiharu is just figured out where they are being kept. We're heading to the lower most block right now_ ," Kuroko answered, " _How'd you get so close so quickly? That's a lot a ground to cover without some sort of vehicle or ability._ "

"That's because I borrowed on," Touma replied proudly as he rode down the expressway.

With a little help from Kongou, Touma had fashioned himself his own temporary mode of transportation. Presenting her the sheet of scrap metal he found during the aftermath of the battle, Touma had Kongou apply several long-lasting, gradually releasing Aero Hand ejection points across its surface. They placed several ejection points on the bottom surface and a few more the bent-up portion. On Touma command, Kongou activated all the ejection points simultaneously, causing the points on the bottom to produce lift and the points on the back to produce thrust. In no time at all, Touma had himself a makeshift hoverboard.

It took a bit of trial and error for him to get a feel for the board and find his balance, but Touma figured it out rather quickly. In hindsight, he really shouldn't have been surprised. He did get the high score on the surfing simulator back at the Phantasm Carnival.

" _Guess something useful did come out of that trip_ ," Mikoto mused.

" _What about that giant Gekota Kamijou won you?_ " Kuroko asked absentmindedly, " _You snuggle that thing in your sleep every night._ "

"You snuggle the plush I won you to sleep?" Touma asked, mildly surprised.

" _Shut up!_ "

"Well, I'll be there soon. ETA ten minutes," Touma replied before shifting his focus back to flying.

As he rode down the street, Touma couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. On his way to the children's location, he had gone past the mech that Therestina was piloting, or at the very least what was left of it. He had circled the pill of scrap metal a couple of times to evaluate it, but his finding had stuck him as odd.

Mikoto had clearly hit the Kihara with something larger than an arcade token based on the extensive damage to the mech. The blast was powerful enough to cripple the robot and open a hole straight through the cockpit. However, the blast didn't cut through the seat, only barely grazing where the pilot would sit. However, the most startling part was that there was not sign of Therestina at all except for a few small blood stains. Unless she was vaporized by the railgun, she had either gotten away and in hiding, or had another trick up his sleeve. As sick as it may be, Touma was seriously hoping she was vaporized.

"I need to take a break," Touma lamented, "All these high-stake Judgement cases are starting to get to me. I'm starting to think like a maniac."

* * *

"I found you," Kiyama sighed in relief at the sight of her students.

Next to her, Uihara was pounding at Haruee's pod, trying to walk the poor girl up. To Uiharu's relief, her roommate came to and was not worse for wear. Saten left to look for a control panel while Kuroko and Mikoto looked on from a distance, smiling the entire time.

"No long now," Kiyama said to her sleeping students, "We'll get you out of there."

"You hear that, Kamijou?" Kuroko said over their commlink, "We've found them."

" _Yeah, thank goodness_ ," Touma replied, " _Estimated arrival time, five minutes._ "

That was when the ringing started. The ringing that was the bane of all Espers.

"No, that sound again," Mikoto whined, "It can't be."

"But it is," an all to familiar voice said from behind the Tokiwodai girls, "You pesky, meddling brats!"

Mikoto turned her aching head to see the sadistic smile of a bleeding Therestina Kihara Lifeline.

"It's her," Mikoto whimpered.

"This is to pay you back for earlier!" the mad women yelled as she smacked to Tokiwodai girls aside with a giant lance.

The girls fell to the ground, their ear pieces coming knocked loose.

" _Shirai! Misaka! Are you still there?!_ " Touma cried from his end.

Outraged by the researcher's heinous actions, Kiyama charged at the Kihara. However, it was a fruitless effort as she was just as easily knocked aside.

Hearing all the commotion, Saten returned to the room to see her friends lying on the ground at the feet of the crazed researcher. She stopped at the door, gritting her teeth as she contemplated charging in herself.

"That felt good!" Therestina laughed, "That's what you get for making me look like a fool!"

"You're using Capacity Down! Misaka describe it to us before! The sound it emits only affects Espers!" Uiharu cried.

"This is Capacity Down?" Saten asked herself.

"What's your point?" Theretina inquired, "Knowing what it does isn't going to protect you."

"She told us that you upgraded the system with speakers too big to move around easily," Uiharu continued.

"So what? Are you going to try and destroy every speaker in the facility one by one?"

"A system like this needs a control center and it can only be in so many places with how big it is!" Uiharu further explained, "Based on what I've seen about this building, there is only one place it could be, back in the Central Control Room."

"Maybe you're right," Therestina replied, smacking the last Esper aside, knocking her ear piece out as well, "Not that it matters when there is nothing you can do."

" _Uiharu! Damn it! Can anyone still read me?!_ " Touma begged, " _Saten, if you're still there, you have to deal with Capacity Down! From what I can tell, Therestina still doesn't know you're there. I'm still a few minutes I way, so you're the only one that can do this!_ "

Saten hesitated for a moment. She wanted to help. This women hurt her friends and caused so much suffering for so many other people. She wanted to hit Therestina with her bat with all her might. However, she knew Touma was right. Uiharu was telling her what she needed to do. She was telling her how she could be useful. Thus, she ran. Saten ran back up stairs as fast as she could to the Central Control Room. She was not going to be a burden. Not this time.

"Do all little girls talk as much as you do? You should thank me, I'm about to show you something amazing," Therestina boasted, oblivious to Saten's presence, "The completion of the Ability Crystal."

"How can you?" Mikoto asked, standing in defiance despite the pain, "I don't understand. You're a victim in this too. Your own grandfather used you for his experiments. He made your ability run out of control. And yet, here you are."

"You're wrong. I'm no victim. I'm Academy City's greatest dream. This seed of greatness was born thanks to me," Therestina declared, presenting a vial containing a single, red Ability Crystal, "And I intend to let it bloom."

"It can't be…" Kyama gasped, "That vial, it contains the First Sample?"

"Using this, I'll finally create a Level 6!" Therestina yelled triumphantly, eying Haruee, "This young girl is about to become the first Esper in Academy City to reach Level 6! The power of the other children will flow into her!"

"You can't do it!" Uiharu begged, "Not Haruee!"

"And why not? Her ability is unique in that it is capable of resonating with the crystal. It was truly a stroke of luck that you brought her to me," Therestina boasted, "I'll borrow the other children's realities, extracting their Runaway Esper neurotransmitters to create an inhibitor for the Ability Crystal, and it will finally be complete. The old geezer could never figure it out, but I will succeed where he failed!"

"You can't!" Mikoto protested, "If the children wake up in their current state, the Poltergeisting will destroy the city!"

"Why should I care?" Therestina asked, hoisting Mikoto up with her lance, "Creating someone who holds the power of god while in a mortal body is the whole point of this city. Once that's achieve, there's no point in the keeping the city around."

Dr. Kiyama attempted to attack Therestina one more time, but once again was easily kicked aside.

"You said something interesting before, that Skill-Out members weren't my lab rats," Therestina said, staring right at Mikoto, "You were just one word away from being correct. They aren't my only lab rats. No, you're all my lab rats! Better yet, your all my livestock, waiting for me to use you as I please."

However, Therestina's rant was cut off by the sound of the facility's PA system turning on. On the other side of the line was Saten, her voice clearly shaken yet determined.

" _I don't give a damn if you think we're lab rats!_ " Saten declared, " _Don't forget, rats have sharp teeth!_ "

"Saten!" Uiharu cheered.

"There's another one of you brats here? How is she still standing?!" Therestina demanded.

" _I'm not going to tell you twice. Keep you're hands off my friends!_ "

The last thing heard from the PA system was the sound of a shattering computer.

* * *

" _Kamijou, Capacity Down is offline! I did it!_ " Saten cheered over the commlink, " _Where are you?_ "

"I just arrived!" Touma yelled as he weaved through the mess of offline Powered Suits and trucks Mikoto created outside the facility, "Bottom most level, right?"

" _Yeah, at the bottom of the central spiral stair well!_ " Saten confirmed.

"On my way!" Touma yelled as rode into the facility, his board scraping against the walls as he made some tight turns through the narrow hallways.

Soon enough, he found the stair well that Saten mention and say Saten already making her way down. Touma needed to get down fast, and there was only one way he could think of to do so without jumping of his board. He gripped the tip of his board with his left hand, pulling it upward. Some might call it stupid to try a maneuver you saw only a few times on television with no practice, but it was his only real option. Recalling a certain anime he saw once, Touma attempted the show's signature move, the Cutback Drop Turn.

And so, Touma fell.

* * *

With Capcity Down gone, the Espers were once again able to fight back. Using her last pin, Kuroko was able to knock the First Sample out of Therestina's hand, allowing Kyama to retrieve the last bit of data she was missing. Mikoto then used her electricity to throw the heavily armored researcher aside, putting some distance between the two of them. Despite the setback, Therestina was still resisting.

"Fine then. Looks like it's time to change tactics!" Therestina laughed, "Fortunately, I have a plan B! I'm gonna blow you and this whole place away!"

Therestina held out her lance, which then split apart into a four-pronged claw, surging with electricity.

"I designed this particular weapon after carefully analyzing your ability!" Therestina explained, "It's even more powerful than your railgun!"

"Honestly, first laboratory rats, then livestock? How bitter and pathetic do you have to be to think so lowly of other human beings?" Mikoto asked, taking out an arcade token.

"You may be a Level 5 Electromaster, but in this town your just data!" Therestina laughed, "That's right, just a bunch of data with two legs and a smart mouth!"

"That's where you're wrong. The people of Academy City are much more that that. They can achieve greatness in ways only possible here. As a Certain Strange Addition to Judgement would say, the people of this city being just data is just an illusion," Mikoto declared, tossing the coin in the air, "So I'm going to shatter it!"

"Couldn't say it better myself!" a familiar voice echoed from the door.

Touma suddenly turned the corner, flying at full speed. He once through the door, he jumped off his board and let if fly straight at Therestina. The board slammed into her firing arm, knocking it upward and causing her railgun to fire prematurely. The blast hit the ceiling, causing rubble to fall and pin her in place.

"Misaka!" Touma yelled, "Take the shot!"

Mikoto complied, flicking the coin just as it lined up with her finger. Her railgun fired with a thunderous roar, slamming into Therestina's chest. The mad scientist was driven into the wall at Mach three, passing out on collision.

Eventually, Saten was able to catch up with the others in the lower most block. When she got there, Mikoto, Uiharu, Haruee, and Kiyama were by the system's control panel, Kuroko was waiting by the door, and Touma was in the back, staring at the bloody and unconscious Therestina. Seeing that everyone was safe, Saten let out a sign of relief, leaning over a railing to rest.

"That was nice work," Kuroko complimented, "You saved all our lives."

"Heh, it was nothing," Saten chuckled, "I was just doing what I could to help, just like a certain other Level 0 we all know."

The two girls turned towards said Level 0 and approached slowly. All the while, Touma stood over the Kihara, completely silent. It barely even registered in his mind that the girls were approaching him.

"You okay?" Saten asked.

"Oh, hey. Yeah. I was just… thinking," Touma replied absentmindedly.

"What about?" Kuroko inquired.

"It's stupid. It's just… So much suffering was caused because a couple of scientist like the Kiharas were desperate enough to disregard other people just to create a Level 6, a mortal that could stand as God's equal," Touma explained, "I was just wondering what would happen if Imagine Breaker became common knowledge. In my right hand, I hold the power to destroy and suppress the supernatural and the undermine the will of God. Even my name entails that I could stand against God and the devil despite just being a normal high school student. I thought that maybe if I had made Imagine Breaker public, people like the Kiharas would have left everyone else alone and focused their research on me. Maybe then, these children wouldn't even need to be saved in the first place. They're peace wouldn't have been stolen from them."

'And for all I know, Yuri is going through a hell just as bad or worse that the one these children have endured,' Touma thought to himself, remembering the unknown man, Amata Kihara.

"Come on, don't say that," Saten encouraged, "It's not like all of this is your fault. Besides, you did what you could to help. That's all that really matters."

"Is it though?" Touma argued, "All I've been doing is stepping in once things have already gotten bad. Maybe if I had known, I could have done something to prevent things from getting this bad in the first place."

"You can't play the martyr every time someone is in trouble. Think about what the rest of us would go through if you went into the hospital after one of your escapades and didn't come back out," Kuroko countered, "Why are you so intent on sacrificing yourself for others anyway?"

Touma paused for a moment as his thought wandered back to that fateful morning. The morning he woke up in the hospital with amnesia and saw Index on the verge of tears. Of all the memories he had made since his accident, that one was still the hardest to swallow.

"I just… don't want to see people cry," Touma admitted, hesitation evident in his voice.

"You hesitated," Kuroko pointed out.

"I know, it's stupid. It's just how I feel," Touma conceded.

"Of course it's stupid," Saten added, "Tears of joy exist too."

For the first time since they started talking, Touma actually looked at the two girls in the eyes. They both gave him warm smiles, as if to say that they knew he knew what they were implying. All Touma could do was return the smile and chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Both of you," Touma admitted, "Hard to believe I forgot about that."

"I don't think so. You do have amnesia, after all," Saten joked, earning another chuckle from the unlucky boy.

"Well, Dr. Kiyama is working on her awakening program for the children. How about we go see if any of those tears of joy are shed today?" Kuroko suggested, nodding towards the rest of the group.

After a long and tedious process, Dr. Kiyama was finally able to complete her awakening program thanks to the data from the First Sample. Although hesitant at first, the former teacher was given the courage to run her program thanks to a message passed over to her from Edasuki through Haruee. At long last, after many years, the children had finally woken up. Despite the time spent asleep, they all recognized the teacher they all loved so dearly. Just as it was predicted, tears of joy were shed.

"Alright, can I finish saying it now?" Kiyama asked, turning to the students that accompanied her in her quest, "Thank you so much."

The students could only smile at the gratitude.

* * *

"We have to hurry!" Uiharu cried, "I don't want to miss it!"

"Misaka, Shirai, it's not like you to be late," Saten noted.

"Honestly, of all days, Sissy, this is the one you chose to sleep in on!" Kuroko yelled, chastising her roommate and senior.

"Shut up, you were sleeping every bit as soundly as I was!" Mikoto retorted, "Besides, what about this idiot? He was just as late because of his stupid camera!"

"I can't help it if the batteries died!" Touma defended, "Academy City may be technologically advanced, but a lot of the stuff still needs electricity! Of course, you wouldn't need to worry about stuff like that!"

The group of friends ran through the streets of Academy City, clearly in a rush to get somewhere. Today was a special day, and one that they did not want to miss out on.

"I have to admit, I'm kind of surprised," Uiharu said as they ran, "I never would have expected Misaka to come up with something like this."

"What are you talking about?" Saten asked, "It's sweet, and generous, and thoughtful, just like Misaka is."

"Yeah, you're right!" Uiharu agreed.

"Really? I get more of stern, short-tempered, and violent vibe from her," Touma admitted.

"Keep talking like that, and that's exactly what you're going to get!" Mikoto threatened.

Despite the group's desperate attempt to get to their destination, they found themselves stopping on a bridge when Kuroko received a call from Konori. Apparently, Therestina had finally woken up and Anti-Skill had started interrogating her. Unfortunately, she wasn't saying anything. It was clear it would be a while before they a full record of the Kihara's crimes. However, they didn't think too long about is as they soon realized they had stopped running and were wasting time.

"Look, up there!" Uiharu cried, pointing up at the sky.

The rest of the group turned to where she was pointing to see the main event of their plans flying by. With Mikoto's influence as a Level 5, they were able to arrange for one of the blimps to present a special message for a certain researcher. On the screen were all of Dr. Kiyama's students, wishing her a happy birthday while they all recovered in the hospital.

Across the city, people looked up at the blimp and couldn't help but smile at the act of affection between some students and their teacher. Out of everyone in the city, the group of Touma, Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten appreciated the act the most. It was proof that their efforts were well worth the struggle and that Therestina was wrong about the city. The students were not just test subjects, they were, in their own way, family.

As he watched the blimp go by, Touma raised the camera he had hanging off his neck and took a picture. Soon after, a fresh copy of the picture was printed out, completely visible from the get go. Just another one of Academy City's technological marvels. He then took out his journal and turned to an event entry subtitled "Dr. Kiyama's Birthday" and attached the photo to the page.

Touma turned his attention away from the book when he heard Mikoto stretching, clearly satisfied with how the event turned out despite not being there in person. All the rest of the group could do was smile at this simple action.

"There's never a dull moment, is there?" Mikoto mused, "Not in this city."

* * *

 **Glad that that's finally done. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it.** **I'm especially happy with the final clash at the end. I'm normally pretty lenient with filler arcs in anime since they have their own merit and can be just as interesting as anything canon to the original work. However, I was really irked by the beam-o-war at the end of the fight in the anime. Seriously, it's simple physics. You can't have a beam-o-war when the projectiles clashing are small, blunt objects that are essentially bullets. For a side-story titled "A Certain Scientific Railgun", that's pretty scientifically inaccurate. Granted, it's science fiction, but they can at least get the basic science right!**

 **Anyway, my scientific grievances aside, I'm happy with how the chapter came out overall. Remember how I said I don't believe in throw away lines? Well, this chapter is a pretty big example of that. I'm sure you all thought the surfing simulator line during the not-a-date chapter had no weight in the long run, yet here it is, coming back as a new skill for Touma. I even have plans to bring it back again later, so keep an eye out for that.**

 **Also, references. Lots of references. Mostly Marvel references. Is my hype for Infinity War apparent yet? How many can you find?**

 **I'll be taking a small ciesta after this. Need to rewatch the Sisters Arc on two fronts for research purposes. Also, Fate/Grand Order's Zero Accel Alter even is up and I need to make some serious progress if I want to reunite the Emiya family. Funny thing is, I was rolling for Kiritsugu and got spooked by Iskandar on my only X10 roll. I've been having crazy luck with to rate-ups lately. First Dantes, then Jalter, now Iskandar. All of my SSR Servants have been from events so far. Guess I've got a good shot at Illya when she comes out if the trend is anything to go by.**

 **Leave a review if you like.**

 **Best guy and girl, thank you!**


	26. Can't We Catch a Break?

**Guess who's back, and better than ever!**

 **Finally finished with finals, so now I have the entirety of summer to write for this story! Expect lots of potentially more frequent chapters over the next couple of months. So, after weeks without an update, the first chapter I post is based on the first episode of Railgun S. Quite fitting, wouldn't you say?**

 **So, before we get to the chapter, I think it's time a responded to some long over due reviews and quesitons**

 **Bluejack222: Hey, not worries. He's such a normal guy that it's not hard to forget he's got some hidden talents. Glad you liked the ending.**

 **RedSS: One of the best, huh? That's a pretty hefty claim. Glad you liked it. Honestly would prefer it if it were FanficWins because I love some positiveness, but I digress. Yeah, I can get a bit carried away when it comes to references.**

 **fencer29: Eh, it just felt right to finish the arc like that. Honestly, the congested timeline is one of my favorite parts of the series. Something is always happening, something is always affecting something else. It's a big world and lots of stuff comes into play that most people are not aware of. Also, remember that inaccurate information about Project Level 6 Shift was always intentional since it was never the true goal of the project that Aleister wanted. Accelerator was pretty pissed to be constantly seeing the same face day in and day out. The short time frame between individual probably got progressively shorter and depended on how convent it would be in relation to then number of prying eyes.**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, changing up fight scenes is still a bit of an issue for me. Still, the break gave me plenty of time to brainstorm, so you might be surprised in future chapters.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Glad you liked the chapter! As we all know, when push comes to shove, the level of Touma's badassary grows proportionally( or is it exponentially) with then number of people at risk. The hoverboard part was actually something I had decided on from the very beginning. The final scene has changed considerably since the first conception, but I'm happy with how it turned out. You can expect that skill to come back in the future. I can assure you there is plenty to look forward to. My little ciesta has given me lots of time to brainstorm, so I have a lot of ideas for deviations, especially for how the Accelerator fight goes. Well, the gacha has yet to disappoint me. Between the last update and this one, I managed to role Kiritsugu and am now saving for the rest of the Emiya family. That is my goal, my ideal! I must create a Chaldea where the Emiya's can live together at long last! It may be hell I'm walking into, but at the other end of that hell is a dream! A dream I will never give up on! (Can you tell I like UBW Shriou the best?)**

 **GhostofTime: And a dense wood it will be. ...That came out wrong.**

 **X the Reaper: Yeah, that gonna end in an ugly way.**

 **Generation Zero: Pacing isn't exactly something that's easy to mess up when it's pre-established. Just showing off Touma's best qualities. He really is one of the best examples of a purely human hero. I might enhance Uiharu's arsenal in the future. After all, Touma is working on helping the Disciplinary Committee's tech. Oh, trust me, I'm planning on making the Sisters Arc the most emotional yet. Character interactions and explorations have always been the focus of this story, so the last bit between Touma and the girls was something I really wanted to get right. Hopefully, you get just as much enjoyment from future chapters.**

 **dark knight 52: References are my lifeblood. You can expect some more the next time the hoverboard comes out.**

 **Guest (1): That's quite a lot of insight of Accelerator's character. Trust me, I already have it all planned out. You just have to wait and see how it goes down.**

 **mohamadstar94: Next arc is science based, the Sisters Arc. If my memory of the timeline is correct, afterwards it's another science based arc with the Silent Party, followed by a magic based arc in Angel Fall. I'll have to look up the timeline again.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: First, I would like to say that your Support List has been much appreciated, especially Waver in regards to the latest event. Glad to see someone else agrees that the writing staff goofed on that part. Don't worry about me. I made sure to watch both versions of the arc before even thinking about starting to write. I've got it all planned out.**

 **Kami (Guest): Glad you liked the addition of ODD. It's one of my favorite additions to the original plot. I think you'll like what happens in the Sisters Arc. No spoilers though. As fro Angel Fall, still on the fence for that one, but I have some ideas for additions.**

 **Kim454: Nice poem there. Did you write that for the wiki or did you just copy it? I think it's clear there is a evolution to my writing style, if your comprehensive review of the story so far is anything to go by. Just trying to find that balance of dialogue and narration. It's funny that you pointed out all the weird coincidences with the Kamijous, because I'm actually working on an expanded background for them that I think you will find quite interesting. Honestly, Kazuma Kamachi is just as slippery and secretive as Aleister at times. Makes you think Aleister is his avatar in the novels or something.**

 **Guest (2): Yeah. In addition to deeper character exploration, I wanted to breath new life into the fights with some new additions. Some expected, some strange. Now you know why I chose the title.**

 **Guest (3): Haha, good one. Don't be expecting any new god-like abilities for Touma. He is afterall a normal person with a special power.**

 **Harry (Guest): That's actually a great idea and in line with Touma's character and experiences. I'll implement that as soon as possible!**

 **The unlucky boy: Don't worry. I'm too proud of this project to just drop it. I have to many plans for it.**

 **Guest (4): That does sound interesting. However, I want to avoid using any tech that wouldn't logically be trusted to a high school student in Academy City, like super advanced Hard Light Tech, and I want to stay in the realm of realism regarding the forms that ODD can transform into given the mass that con be collapsed in it and how it can fold. I do have some ideas for how it can be added in the future, if possible.**

 **Man, the breaks are going to be the death of me if I have to respond to that many reviews every time I step away from a story for more than a week. Well, you know the drill. Disclaimer then story.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 26: Can't We Catch a Break?

"Thanks for coming in on such short notice," Yomikawa said as she led her student through District 7's local Anti-Skill Headquarters.

"Not a problem," Touma replied, keeping pace with his teacher, "You said it was something important, right? What exactly did you need me for?"

"As you most likely recall, you have been assigned to field test our latest prototype disciplinary weapon, the Omni Defense Device, or ODD for short," Yomikawa explained.

"Right, you wanted me to report back field data and enhancement suggestions," Touma recalled, "Is that what this is about? You have another model ready?"

"You're sharper than you look. I can see why you've been rising up in the ranks of Judgement lately."

"Should I feel insulted or praised?" Touma lamented, dropping his shoulders slightly.

"Don't take it personally," Yomikawa chuckled, "Besides, that's not the only reason. There's someone I want you to meet."

Soon enough, the two members of the Disciplinary Committee came across a very familiar door. It was the door to the same room that Touma received his prototype ODD in the first place. Touma could help but smile at the memory. In the short amount of time he had the tool, it had been an impressive asset. It had to be one of the few fortunate things that happened to him. Granted, that fortune was paid back in full by the misfortune of the Dr. Kiyama's students getting kidnapped by Therestina, but that was beside the point.

When Yomikawa opened the door, Touma saw a desk in the middle of the room with what appeared to another ODD, this one having a slightly thicker ring around its midpoint with a small black screen. In front of the desk stood a rather young adult man. He wore a white lab coat over a blue dress shirt and black slacks. His black hair was combed back, and he had a short beard. Upon seeing the pair enter, the man smiled and approached them.

"Kamijou, allow me to introduce you to Doctor Roku Bakuya, the man behind the creation of ODD," Yomikawa said, gesturing towards the doctor as he approached.

"Touma Kamijou. It is honor to meet you," the doctor said, offering his hand.

"The honor is mine," Touma replied, taking the hand in his own and shaking, "Not sure why you'd think meeting me is an honor."

"Oh, but it is," Dr. Bakuya insisted, "You have been a massive help in the development of ODD. The data you have provided is invaluable. Not to mention the inspiration you have provided for other new forms of equipment. When I saw the reports of you improvising a hoverboard with Aero Hand I got to work on a prototype right away."

"Really?" Touma asked, intrigued, "How's it coming along?"

"Look out!" a random voice called form behind Dr. Bakuya, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

Looking over the doctor's shoulders, the group saw a window to neighboring room with a sparking, prototype hoverboard lodged in it. In the other room, three Anti-Skill researchers, one of which dressed in protective gear.

"I'm okay," the one in protective gear called out with an awkward wave of his hand.

"Yeah…" the doctor trailed, turning away from the broken window, "Still working out the kinks on that one. On the bright side, it is an improvement over the first one. All that is left of that one is a single nut."

"As amusing as your failed prototypes are, I believe we are here to discuss one of your working ones," Yomikawa interrupted.

"Of course," Dr. Bakuya agreed, nodding his head, "If you will follow me."

Leading Touma to the desk, the doctor picked up the new and improved ODD prototype and presented it to Touma. Touma was asked to remove the receptor for the previous model from his wrist, which he did with little effort. The doctor then pressed the screen on the device, causing the ring to expand to the point that it could slide off the device and loosely onto a person's wrist. He then slid it on to Touma's left wrist, where it promptly contracted so it was snuggly on. Afterwards, the black screen lit, presenting the time several other options.

"Whoa," Touma said, admiring the new receptor bracelet.

"Impressive, right?" Dr. Bakuya smirked, "This new receptor is guaranteed to be more secure than the previous model and has added functionality with both a watch and a communicator capable of tapping into Disciplinary Committee frequencies. It even attaches to the ODD itself for out of use storage."

"And the weapon itself?" Touma asked.

"All the forms found in the previous model are still present," the doctor explained, "We did add in spiked variants of some of those forms in the event you need to fight runaway Powered Suits again. Much easier to disarm when you can pierce into the armor and cut the circuitry. I trust you would not used those modes on less armed opponents."

"Any else?" Touma pushed.

"A few new features, the details of which are in this short pamphlet," the doctor replied, handing Touma the information, "I think you will find these new features quite useful."

Before the conversation could move forward, Touma's phoned buzzed off, signaling he had received an email. A quick read revealed that Saten had apparently ran into a group of suspicious teens and needed help. Kuroko and Uiharu were already on their way to help, but they figured they should let Touma know so he could help if possible.

"Sorry to cut this short, doctor, but I got to go. Judgement emergency. Looks like this thing will be getting its first field test sooner than expected," Touma said as he replaced the old prototype on his belt clip with the new one, "I take it you want the old model back?"

"Keep it. I insisted," Dr. Bakuya replied, "You never know when you might need a second weapon on hand. Maybe I should add that to the next model."

"Thanks again, doctor. It was an honor to meet you," Touma said as he began to run out the door.

However, he stopped just before leaving the room when his phone buzzed off again. Looking at the latest email, Touma let out a stiff laugh as he dropped his shoulders in defeat.

"Something wrong, Kamijou?" Yomikawa asked in curiosity.

"It's nothing. Just found out that Zapper got herself involved again," Touma grimaced, "That girl really needs to learn to stop zapping people so quickly."

* * *

"I'm telling you, it was so amazing," Saten cheered, "What would you call it, Uiharu? An instant take down? One shot and she blasted them all."

The next day, Uiharu, Saten, Index, and Haruee were riding a bus on the way to the Garden of Learning, where they planned to meet Mikoto and Kuroko. As they rode, Saten relayed yesterday's events regarding Mikoto and how she saved Saten from the group of thugs. Haruee and Index showed pure amazement at their friend's feat, while Uiharu was more concerned with Saten's bad habits.

"You're never going to change, are you Saten?" Uiharu lamented, "You always land into trouble when you wander those back allies. I wouldn't be surprised if you ran into a murder in those allies one of these days."

"Yeah, sorry," Saten sheepishly giggled, "Hey, look at that, we're almost there. Now, where is that invitation?"

"And now you're changing the subject. Typical," Uiharu sighed as Saten searched her bag for their Garden of Learning invitation.

"Hey, Kazari, why didn't Touma come with us?" Index asked, "Surely Mikoto and Kuroko would be able to give him an invitation."

"The Garden of Learning is a girls-only area of District 7," Uiharu explained, "Even if Kamijou got an invitation, security wouldn't let him in. He is a boy after all. He's meeting up with us at the hospital."

"Must be tough being the only boy in a group of friends," Haruee observed.

"Maybe, but that's also the gateway to a harem scenario, every boy's greatest dream," Saten argued with a cheeky grin.

"Saten, have you been talking to Tsuchimikado and Aogami again?" Uiharu asked, blushing profusely, "You know those two are always causing trouble."

"What? Kamijou is friends with them, so they can't be that bad. They're actually pretty nice once you get to know them," Saten defended, "Tsuchimikado knows practically every rumor in the city and Aogami knows quite a bit about fashionable underwear. He even gave me some suggestions for you to try on."

"Leave my panties out of this!" Uiharu cried in indignation.

"Say, why are we meeting up at the Garden of Learning if Kamijou can't come with us anyway?" Haruee asked.

All she got in response was a fit of giggles from the other girls.

Once they got off the bus, the girls explored the Garden of Learning for a bit, picking out some cakes and other snacks from various shops around town. Thankfully, shopping for sweets wasn't too problematic, even with Index around. Mikoto had given them a rather large budget the other day straight from her stipends, so payment wasn't a problem. In addition, Touma had made it a personal mission to teach Index some restraint when it came to food. Based on how much they bought, he seemed to be making progressed. Before, Index would eat eighty slices of cake before she realized she was doing something wrong. Now, she stopped within seventyseven.

Hey, she was making progress. No one said it was a lot of progress.

Once they had their take-out desserts, the group met up with Mikoto and Kuroko at Tokiwodai Middle School before heading out to Heaven Canceller's hospital.

* * *

Just outside the hospital, Touma sat on a bench, reading through the pamphlet that Dr. Bakuya game him the other day. With the pamphlet in his right hand and his ODD in his left hand, Touma tested each of the new weapon's additional features. In addition to the new spiked variants of the previous modes, the weapon also had enhanced thrusters, allowing it to be recovered much more quickly than before. The thrusters at the ends of the tool's shaft were especially stronger, giving Touma the option of having a booster javelin throw without the need of an Aero Hand user. The motors in the tool were much more effective as well, allowing for faster mode shifts and greater forces when using the motors for strikes and applying pressure. That was just the tip of the iceberg for what the new model could do.

"Touma! We're here!" a familiar voice called out, breaking Touma's attention away from his equipment.

In front of him, Touma saw his friends approaching to hospital, with Index in the front of the group looking particularly excited to see him. Smiling, Touma stood up and put away his ODD and ODD operations pamphlet.

"Hey, girls. What took you so long?" Touma asked.

"Do you really have the right to ask that when you show up to stuff late all the time?" Mikoto countered.

"I walked into that one, didn't I?" Touma lamented.

"Like a discarded soda can," Kuroko confirmed.

"Let's not dwell on that," Uihaur suggested, "Come on, we don't want to keep Edasaki waiting."

Not feeling like going back and forth about Touma's apparent inability to show up to most events on time, the group went into the hospital for a visit. While Haruee was filling out the forms for their visit, the group ran into another pair of familiar faces, one of which Touma had seen just the other day.

"Hi Miss Yomikawa, Miss Tessou," Touma greeted as the Anti-Skill Officers approached, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Good to see all of you, too," Tessou replied, "Are you visiting someone?"

"We are," Kuroko answered, "But what about you two? Has there been an incident?"

"No, nothing like that," Yomikawa insisted, "There were some pseudo radicals we had to take care of and one of them is being treated here. He's just about ready to be let out, so we're transferring him to an Anti-Skill hospital where we can put the squeeze on him, good and hard."

"Sounds kind of scary when you put it like that," Touma admitted.

"You were dealing with pseudo radicals?" Saten asked curiously.

"Yeah, lots of stuff goes wrong in this city," Yomikawa lamented, "It's always something and you never now what's going to happened."

"Isn't that the truth," Touma agreed, remembering all of the mishaps he got himself caught up in in the last month.

"Okay, we're ready to go," Haruee cheered as she finished the paperwork.

"Good luck with the transfer, Miss Yomikawa," Uiharu said with a bow, "It was nice talking to you again."

"Sure thing! Just keep out of trouble, kids," Yomikawa called out as the group left to meet Edasaki.

When she found out that everyone had come to visit her, Edasaki was rather surprised, but happily so. She was just as grateful for all the delicious cakes the group brought her from the Garden of Learning.

"You seem to be doing much better, huh?" Mikoto observed.

"Slowly but surely," Edasaki nodded, "The rehab can be pretty hard, but with all of you coming to visit me, I feel even more motivated than before."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Touma smiled, "Especially when you have your best friend visiting you every day. Even more so considering you've been separated for such a long time."

"What about you, Kamijou? How's your search going?" Edasaki asked.

"What search?" Touma asked, confused.

"For your sister and your friend, Yuri," Edasaki clarified, "You told us about them once during one of your visits."

"Oh, right, them," Touma realized with a stiff laugh, "Yeah, still no leads. It's not like I have a telepathic link to either of them like the two of you share."

"What about a photo?" Haruee suggested, "You told me you didn't have one of your sister, but surely you have one for Yuri."

"Now that you mention it, I think I do. Hang on," Touma said as he reached into his bag.

After rustling through his bag for a little bit, Touma pulled out his journal and started flipping through the pages. Eventually, he stopped at Yuri's profile page, presenting everyone with the picture of the two of them as children. Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten all recognized this picture, as it was the same one they saw when they went digging in Touma's journal while he was passed out the day before he lost his memories.

"So, this is Yuri Suzushina," Edasaki mused.

"The two of you look like total opposites, but at the same time happy together," Haruee noted.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why, but we always just gravitated towards one another," Touma admitted honestly, having no true recollection of his relationship with his friend beyond his journal entries, "It probably had something to do with how we faced similar issues in terms of isolation."

"Seems more likely to me that you just helped him out about at some point and he stuck around after that," Saten mused.

"That does seem to be the norm for Touma," Index admitted.

"Come on, that's not true," Touma denied.

"It's pretty much true," the girls said in unison, shooting down his argument.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll find Yuri," Edasaki encouraged, "You just need to keep at it."

"Yeah, your right," Touma sighed, "Of course, you need to do the same with your rehabilitation."

"Of course!" Edasaki cheered.

"Yeah! If you recover fast enough, we can go to school together, starting next term!" Haruee added.

At the mention of school, Mikoto noticeably stiffened up. She then randomly asked if anyone was thirsty before offering to go get some sodas for everyone. Kuroko instantly agreed, as did the ever-gluttonous Index. Uiharu and Saten were a bit confused by Mikoto's behavior, while Touma plainly said he wasn't thirsty. Having gotten a response from everyone, Mikoto and Kuroko ushered everyone who was at least on the fence about getting a drink out of the room, leaving Edasaki, Haruee, and Touma alone.

"What was that about?" the girls asked Touma, the only one present that was entirely familiar with the Level 5.

"Not a clue," Touma replied, closing his journal, "All I know is that that girl can be really weird at times."

"How so?" Haruee asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, I can be complementing her about something and then she starts getting all sparky and tries to zap me," Touma remarked, "Then there was the time we accidentally switched drinks and she suddenly got all quiet before trying to zap me again. Pretty much a lot of trying to zap me at weird times. I just don't get it."

"You sure it's not just because she's shy about those intimate moments with you?" Edasaki suggested, "From the way you described her, she sounds like a lovestruck girl that doesn't know how to approach her crush."

"Zapper? Lovestruck? That's just ridiculous," Touma denied, "From what you're saying, you're implying that she has a crush on me. Like I could earn the affections of so girl from a high-class school."

The girls could only laugh stiffly at Touma's denial. For Touma to not notice the obvious, he either was very oblivious, or he had very little self-esteem regarding his chances with women. Then again, with Mikoto's usual behavior, she didn't give many clear hints. The two of them could have their current dynamic go on for years and still make no progress on one's feelings towards the other.

Speaking of Mikoto, the group soon noticed that she apparently left her bag in the room. However, they didn't have too much time to think about it as the hospital's emergency alarm went off.

"What's going on?" Edasaki asked, worried.

"I don't know, but I'm going to go investigate this," Touma declared as he put on his Judgement armband, "I want you two to stay here and stay quiet. I don't want you to draw attention to yourselves if its something dangerous. Something tells me this has something to do with those pseudo radicals Miss Yomikawa mentioned earlier."

"Right," Haruee agreed, "just be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon," Touma said reassuringly as he left the room.

Stepping into the hallway, Touma first looked to his right to see if there was anything suspicious going on. Unfortunately, he made the wrong first choice and felt the barrel of an assault rifle poke the back of his head. Trying his best to keep his cool, Touma raised his hand over his head slowly, showing that he was empty handed and complacent.

"Good. You know when you're caught," one of the pseudo radicals mused.

"Hey, look. This punk's a Judgement officer," another criminal observed, noticing Touma's armband.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented, "Outnumbered, unarmed, and totally lacking in any useful Esper ability. I just can't catch a break."

"Some Judgement officer you turned out to be," the last thug, the one holding the gun to Touma's head, chuckled, "The only thing dangerous about you is your mouth. Not to bright either, considering the fact that you just told us all of your weaknesses. One of you, restrain him."

"Today is not your lucky day." One of the radicals joked as he held Touma's arms behind his back.

"Admittedly, this is one of my better ones," Touma joked as he was lead down the halls of the hospital, now the radicals' hostage.

"Keep that mouth of yours in check before I shoot it out!" the radical restraining Touma threatened.

After that little threat, Touma remained silent. Eventually, the radicals led him to a restricted door that led up to the roof of the building. Knocking the lock loose revealed another door at the top of a short flight of stairs with another, much sturdier lock. Not wanting to waste their bullets, the radicals opted to just pick the lock. Not like they had to worry about Anti-Skill attacking them, not while they had their hostage.

From his position, Touma could see out the door's window to see a helicopter parked on the roof. The blades were running, albeit slowly, so there was definitely someone else piloting it. All signs pointed towards the pilot being another pseudo radical and the group's getaway driver. He then surveyed his position in relation to the group holding him hostage. At the moment, he could hit one of them with ODD by extending it while it was still attached to his waist and headbutt the one holding him. However, that would still leave one of them to potentially attack him, escape, or both. Unless he got lucky, which he rarely did, Touma was not going to be able to apprehend all of them in one move, if he could incapacitate even one of them, with his currently limited move set.

However, Touma couldn't dwell on that for long as another, familiar voice made itself known.

"Freeze!" Yomikawa ordered, peeking behind the door frame at the bottom of the stairs, "It's no use trying to escape! There's an all points bulletin on you through all of Academy City! There's no way you ca-"

"Shut up! I mean it! Stop talking," the radical restraining Touma demanded, presenting their hostage.

"Captain, they've got Kamijou hostage!" Tessou observed.

"Don't do anything stupid, otherwise I put this Judgement officer out of commission," another radical threatened, holding a handgun to Touma's head.

Yomikawa gritted her teeth at the sight of one of her students being held hostage. However, she relaxed slightly when she noticed his expression. She had seen that expression on his face many times before. Whenever he was determined to do something, Touma's face became that of an unbreakable hero. He was stoic, unyielding, unfazed, but most of all, determined. As if noticing her gaze, Touma nodded ever so slightly as to not tip off the pseudo radicals. He had a plan and it was now in motion.

Using his bracelet's improved functionality and mental link, Touma placed a video call to Uiharu's handheld, taking care to mute his end so he wouldn't be found out.

* * *

"The criminal scheduled for transfer has escaped?" Kuroko asked for confirmation.

"Captain Yomikawa is in pursuit," the Anti-Skill officer confirmed, "Reinforcements are on their way, but we can really use your help in preventing any panic."

Kuroko and Uiharu looked at each other, unsure of what to make of the situation. On one hand, they were obliged to follow Anti-Skill's orders. On the other hand, they couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right about the situation. They didn't get to dwell on it for long when Uiharu's handheld rang, indicating she was receiving a video chat.

"Who could be calling now of all times?" Kuroko asked in exasperation.

When Uiharu pulled out her handheld, she was surprised to see that the address was not one she recognized. It was definitely a Disciplinary Committee sanctioned address, but it was not one that would know her handheld's address personally. She was even more surprised to find the image to just be the back of a person's shirt, as if they were holding the device behind their back.

" _Man, you've got this all figured out, don't you_ " a familiar voice said over the line.

"Hey, that sounds like Kamijou," Uiharu observed, "When did he get a new communicator? And who is he talking to?"

" _I mean, you sneak in disguised as nurses, rescue your companion, and take a helpless Judgement officer hostage to the top floor to buy you time while you pick the lock to the roof to get to your escape helicopter. A truly brilliant plan_ ," Touma continued.

" _You mocking us, punk? You're not in any position to do that considering I can blow your brains out at any time_ ," a deeper, rougher voice asked.

" _Oh no, not at all_ ," Touma insisted, " _Just an observation. I'm more of a forensics officer, so it second nature for me to note these things. Besides, killing me at this juncture would be counterproductive, considering I'm the only reason Anti-Skill hasn't rushed you yet. Still, I'll probably need some first aid when this is all over._ "

" _You make it sound like you're getting out of this._ "

" _Just musing to myself. I'll be quiet now. I promise._ "

Kuroko and Uiharu looked at each other, silently taking in the transmission they just saw. Touma had been captured but was completely calm about the situation. Knowing him, he was probably hit with a stuck of bad luck. If his attitude towards his bad luck was anything to go by, he was now using that misfortune to his advantage, giving them a tip about what the pseudo radicals were up to.

With an exchange of a simple node, Kuroko grabbed Uiharu shoulder and teleported back into the hospital. It was clear to them what they had to do.

Back on the top floor, Yomikawa and Tessou held their positions as the pseudo radicals continued to pick the lock. Soon enough, a click was heard and the door to the roof opened slightly.

"It's about time!" the radical holding Touma yelled, exasperated.

'Here goes everything!' Touma thought to himself.

Just before the criminals could head out the door, Touma mentally signaled for his new and improved ODD to extend to its full length. The weapon complied, expanding from it position on the back of Touma's hip, slamming one end into the wall and the other end into one of the radicals, pinning him to the opposite wall and forcing him to drop his gun. With his captors caught off guard by the surprise attack, Touma took the opportunity to slam the back of his head into that of the man restraining him. The attack shook the man up, enough to force him to let Touma go. The criminal held his face, blood dripping from his nose.

"You brat!" the last member of the group yelled, turning his machine gun on the Judgement officer.

Acting quickly, Touma hopped on to the railing for the stairwell and slid down, a hail of bullets following him. He only barely out sped the criminal's aim adjustments and was slightly grazed by the bullets on his left shoulder, drawing blood. As soon as he was at the bottom of the stairs, Touma kicked off the wall and jumped behind the same corner Yomikawa was hiding behind. However, he was not expecting to crash face first into the head of the famous Railgun.

Mikoto fell back and off her feet upon impact with Touma following suit. The two rolled across the floor for a little bit before coming to a stop.

"Ow," Mikoto whined, "Idiot! What are you doing jumping off walls like that!"

"Trying to avoid machine gun fire," Touma replied flatly, gesturing to his shoulder wound, "What are you doing here anyway?"

Seeing her secret and unacknowledged crush bleeding, Mikoto immediately froze up before changing the subject.

"Never mind that right now! What about you?! You're bleeding!" Mikoto cried.

"I've lost an arm before! This is just a flesh wound compared to that!" Touma argued, irritated that people keep worrying about his minor injuries.

"If you're going for that reference, wouldn't the arm be the flesh wound?" Saten asked.

"Not the point," Touma replied flatly.

"Ah! Kamijou, there you are!" Uiharu yelled in relief as she turned to corner, joining her friends, "I brought the first-aid kit, just like you asked."

"Thanks, Headband," Touma said as Uiharu treated his injuries.

"Wait," Index interrupted, "If Kazari is here, then where is Kuroko?"

* * *

Having lost their hostage, the two remaining pseudo radicals raced out the door and on to the roof. They then closed the door behind them and barricaded it, blocking the pursue of anyone other than a teleporter.

"Man, I was not expecting that," the criminal with the bleeding nose complained as they headed for their helicopter, "Who would have thought that Level 0 of a Judgement officer had such a mean headbutt and weapon on him. He played us for fools."

"Actually, I heard a rumor recently about a Certain Strange Addition to Judgement. He apparently is a Level 0 and looks totally normal, but hides insane combat instincts and carries an experimental, multifunctional weapon," the other accomplice mentioned, "That kid might have been him.

"Yeah, I head that rumor too. Apparently, he is also regularly accompanied by a deadly teleporter of a Judgement officer and has connections to multiple Level 5s. I wonder if any of that's true," the first radical mused as he opened the helicopter door.

"A bit exaggerated, but not without basis," the voice of a young girl said from inside the helicopter.

Looking inside, the two remaining radicals saw Kuroko standing proudly in the helicopter with their getaway drive laying at her feet. He's clothes were pierced with several pins attaching him to the floor and Kuroko held several more in her hands.

"So, care to try and confirm any of those rumors?" Kuroko asked, feigning innocence.

Realizing they were outmatched, the two remaining pseudo radicals simply put down their guns and kneeled on the ground in surrender.

* * *

Following the events of the attempted break out, the group once again gathered in Edasaki's hospital room. Touma had been bandaged up after his latest injury yet remained just as chipper as the rest of the group. With injuries so minor, there was no need to get Heaven Canceller involved.

"Here, this is for you!" the group cheered in unison, handing Mikoto's bag over to Edasaki.

"Are you sure?" Edasaki asked, confused.

"But that's Misaka's bag, right?" Haruee added, equally confused.

"Never mind that, just open it!" Saten encouraged.

Not seeing any reason to argue over it, Edasaki reached into the bag to see what was inside. What she found truly was a surprise. It was a Sakugawa Middle School uniform, the same one used by Uiharu, Saten, and Haruee.

"Wow, a school uniform!" Haruee cheered in amazement.

"If you keep working as hard as you have been, I know you'll be wearing it soon," Kuroko said.

"We went out to get it for you yesterday," Uiharu added.

"Quite the surprise, right?" Touma asked.

Haruee nodded in agreement.

"You guys. Thank yo-," Edasaki said before cutting her self off at the sight of a depressed Mikoto, "Misaka?"

"Sorry, I screwed it all up!" Mikoto suddenly yelled, "I trying to work on a better surprise, there was all that commotion and the stores closed, so this was all that we-"

"Please, Misaka," Edasaki cut in, "I really am surprised, and really happy. Thank you."

"Seriously, take it easy. You always make things so complicated," Touma said in exasperation, "What where you trying to do, hide the uniform in an oversized bouquet of flowers?"

"Actually, that's exactly what she was trying to do," Index pointed out, earning a laugh from the rest of the group minus an embarrassed Mikoto.

"Still, I can't help but feel sorry for you, Kamijou," Edasaki admitted, "You come to the hospital to visit me and end up injured from being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Eh, story of my life. I'm just glad no one else got hurt. Besides, this is Academy City," Touma said with a smile, "There never is a dull moment here."

* * *

 **Hopefully that was a good start after that break. Honestly, I feel a bit rusty after so long.**

 **So, you've now been introduced to my first attempt at an OC, Doctor Roku Bakuya, the inventor of ODD. There was actually a lot of thought and inspiration behind this character. The prime source of inspiration for the character was Rook Blanko of Ben 10: Omniverse, who was an alien space cop that wielded a versatile weapon known as his Prototol and wore a blue and black body suit of armor. If you look him up, you can clearly see where most of the physical attributes came from. The two of them even share a tick of not using contractions. Then name is even based of Rook Blanko, with the first half being a similar sounding Japanese name and the second half being a Japanese term indicative of the color white, as well as a reference to the sword commonly used by Shirou Emiya. The other, lesser inspiration for the OC was bumbling yet optimistic inventor Cornelius Robinson. If you've seen Meet the Robinson, you can tell where the bit about the first prototype of the hoverboard being reduced to only a nut came from. You can expect him to show up in the future as Touma's equipment evolves further down the line.**

 **Just as a promised, lots more deviation from the original story in the Sisters Arc. So, how did this one turn out? Did you like the changes? Should I have changed more? Tell me in the reviews. I'll see you all when the next chapter is ready.**


	27. A Strange Feeling

**Would you look at that, time off over the summer does give you lots of free time. How long has it been since the last chapter? 3-4 days? Have I proven my dedication? Have I?!**

 **Okay, joking freak out aside, it's great to be back with another chapter. Admittedly, this one covers multiple episodes from Touma's perspective, so it might feel a bit empty and rushed, but I feel like it was the best I could do without just retreading the same events verbatim. Still, I think it turned out well and I hope you all enjoy it as well**

 **Before we start, let's get some Q &A out of the way.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked Touma's smart-ass attitude in the last chapter. He's always had a bit of a sharp tongue if I'm being honest. I was on the fence about the OC, but I think the risk was worth it. I'm pretty much the same with editing. No matter how much I try, at least a few typos making into the published product if I check by myself. I'm sure the deviations will be interesting.**

 **ahsoei: Oh, I know the OVA. I just can't find a full, quality version of it anywhere on the internet. Trust me, I've tried. Honestly though, I don't think there would be much to change in that event. I'd hate to put out a pure rehash with very little in addition.**

 **Kim454: Just a huge coincidence. I actually only had another page or two to write when you posted your complaint.**

 **Bluejack222: Well, technically he is.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: If it's in the anime by the time I get to the writing the chapter, it's going in this story. I have plenty of time before October, especially with how much content there is before WWIII.**

 **RedSS: Yeah, kind of the norm of arc first chapters. I see you're going to do that every time I drop the title in a chapter.**

 **animelover (Guest): Here you go.**

 **Guest (1): Thanks! That was more of a nod to what happens to Touma than foreshadowing for Saten. I already have plans for how I want the other girls to find out, and it won't happen in this arc.**

 **GhostofTime: Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **Exiled Soul Nomad: Of course. Touma is only one of five protagonists or six protagonists at this point, so I don't want him to overshadow everyone else. Even if he is awesome.**

 **The unlucky boy: Good to be back. As much as that idea sounds interesting, there are some inherent flaws. First, Nunotaba is a whole year older than Touma, so they would be in different classes. Second, she is a genius and most likely went to a top tier middle school, unlike Touma who would have gone to a standard middle school. Thrid, you posted this just as I was finishing up with this chapter, so a bit slow on the roll there. Still, interesting idea.**

 **Guest (2): Did you just combine the two halves of Shizuri Mugino's name? Sorry, I'm not planning on have a Touma vs Shizuri fight. Their reunion with be a bit more on the emotional side.**

 **Well, that's pretty much all of them. Disclaimer!**

 **Di** **sclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 27: A Strange Feeling

It was just another day for the unfortunate Touma Kamijou. In the midst of summer, he was stuck taking remedial classes a Certain High School. As a result of all the Judgement work and big cases he was involved in over the last month, the classes he was supposed to take got spread out over the entire summer. So now he was stuck halfway into the summer with only a fraction of his needed remedial classes completed. This also meant that the only other people in the class beside the obvious answer of Komoe were Tsuchimikado and Aogami. Since they did so poorly during the last batch of remedial classes, the stuck around for the second batch which Touma had bleed into.

For the meantime, the minuscule class was on it lunchbreak, leaving the Delta Force to eat and talk among themselves. One would expect the ultimate trio of idiot high school boys to have a debate about the merits of different types of girls. However, the topic today was drastically different.

"Yo, Kami! Have you heard about that rumor about the money cards?" Tsuchimikado asked out of the blue.

"Money cards?" Touma replied, confused.

"Yeah! Apparently, they're scattered across the city in out of the way places," Aogami explained, "Tsuchimikado and I have been searching for them during our spare time! Could you imagine all the gal games we could get with that kind of money?"

"Now that you mention it, I think I have heard of it before," Touma mused before snapping his fingers, "Oh, right! Judgement has had a huge case recently about these money cards. We've been trying to collect them all and figure out what their deal is. From what we could tell, it's being done on purpose. Unfortunately, students have been getting in trouble because of them; stealing from each other and wandering into Skill-Out territory."

"Man isn't that the truth!" Aogami laughed.

"Yeah, we got into quite a few scuffles over the money cards!" Tsuchimikado joined in, "Good thing the two of us were able to fight off all those guys that kept attacking us and get away with all of our cards and theirs!"

"Wait, you two have been looking for money cards, and stealing them from other students?" Touma inquired.

"Just from people who try to steal them from us first," Tsuchimikado replied, "All the other ones were found by our own hands."

"Yeah, check out our haul!" Aogami cheered as he slammed a two-centimeter-thick stack of money cards on his desk.

"You do realize I'm going to have to confiscate these, right?" Touma asked flatly.

"Come on, man! Gal games!" Aogami begged pathetically, "Please don't do this!"

"You're not going to sway me," Touma responded, his face a stoic as before.

"You're so cruel, Kami," Tsuchimikado complained as he took the stack of money card from Aogami and handed them to Touma.

"I guess you two are rubbing off of me," Touma replied calmly, stowing away the cards and his empty bento box into his bag, alongside four other bento boxes.

The rest of the remedial class went normal enough. The only abnormal thing about the class was the death glare Aogami was giving Touma over the money cards. Touma didn't even think it was possible to glare at someone when your eyes were constantly closed, but Aogami managed to do it.

* * *

By the time the remedial class was over, the sun had started to go down. Regardless, with how big of a case the money card situation was, Touma headed to the 177th Judgement Branch Office to help out. In cases like these, everyone spent extra time at the office to get the paperwork and reports done. It was also why he prepared the four extra bento boxes. Everyone needed to eat at such a late hour.

"Hey everyone," Touma greeted as he walked into the office, "How are we with the money cards?"

"Welcome back, Kamijou," Konori greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Kamijou," Uiharu called out from her computer, "Just finished todays count. Grand total of 73 incidences."

"Might want to raise that count a little bit," Touma said, placing his stack of money cards on Uiharu's desk, "I snatched most of these off of Tsuchimikado and Aogami during remedial class and the rest are from students I ran into on the way here. That about 35 additional incidences."

"So many," Konori mused, "That a grand total of 108 incidences today alone. The number just keeps getting higher."

"Say, where's Pigtails?" Touma asked, "I don't see her anywhere here."

"Oh, Shirai left early," Uiharu answered, "Apparently, she had something important she needed to take care of."

"Rotten luck. And after I went to all the effort to make all of us dinner," Touma moaned, taking out the four bento boxes he had prepared.

At the sight of the extra bento box, Konori peaked over Touma's shoulder to get a better look. Wide eyed and drooling slightly, she eyed the extra bento box with some cross between the eyes of a predator and the eyes of a begging puppy. Touma had to admit, it was pretty cute.

Chuckling to himself, Touma took to bento boxes off the pile and held them to Konori.

"I take it you want the extra one, right Chief?" Touma asked, slightly amused.

"Y-yeah, I appreciate it," Konori studdered, taking the meals off of Touma's hands, "I can't wait to taste it. So, you two ready to eat?"

"Just a minute," Uiharu said as he phone began to ring, "I need to take this. Just set up without me."

While Uiharu was busy on the phone, Touma and Konori prepared the short table with all of the bento boxes Touma prepared. Opening each bento box revealed a bed of rice topped with a cherry tomato. The rice was accompanied with a couple of omelet rolls and stir-fried vegetables. As for the main dish, it was none other than a Salmon and Mushroom Butter Foil Wrap topped with wasabi-mayo sauce.

"Wow! This looks delicious!" Uiharu cheered as she joined the group, ogling the food.

Konori just sat next to Touma, wordlessly looking at the meal in awe.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in," Touma encouraged.

"Thank you for the food!" the girls chanted, clapping their hands together.

"Thank you for the food," Touma followed suit.

Upon taking their first bites of the meal, the girls were instantly engrossed in their own words. Uiharu just sat there with a content smile on her face, chewing slowly as she indulged in the meal. Konori on the other hand was wide eyed at the flavor, taking huge bites of the meal and savoring every single one. Touma couldn't help but laugh at the sight before him as he ate his own cooking.

"I take it it's good?" Touma asked.

"Of course it's good! You made it!" Konori yelled enthusiastically, "This is even better than the curry you made during that photo shoot!"

"Glad to hear it. So, Headband, what was with that phone call?" Touma asked.

"Huh? Oh, the phone call!" Uiharu yelped, snapping out of her food induced trance, "It was just Saten telling me she found even more cash cards."

"Should have seen that coming," Touma sighed, "Knowing Flipper, she was probably sniffing out every card she could get hands on."

"That's not all. Apparently, Misaka has a lookalike," Uiharu added.

"Seriously?" Konori asked, taking a pause from her food.

"Yes, Saten said she saw her earlier today," Uiharu explained.

"Now that you mention it, there were stories about Level 5 clones a long time ago," Konori mused.

"You're joking, right?" Touma asked in disbelief.

"According to the story, there was a facility somewhere that used cloning technology to mass-produce Level 5s," Konori elaborated.

"That does sound like Academy City," Uiharu mused, "and like a rumor Saten would sink her teeth into."

"Well, knowing that girl, if it's unconfirmed information and fantastical in some way, she'd look into it until she confirmed it one way or the other," Touma commented, stuffing a piece of salmon into his mouth.

As soon as the Judgement officers had finished their meal, the got straight back to work on finishing their reports on the cash card case. As they worked, they got a report of a small fire in an abandoned building in District 7. They were informed it was really small, so there was no need to rush in to help. Besides, the fire was too far away from the office for them to actually get there in time to be of help. Once they finished their work, the group closed the office for the night, ready for a well-deserved rest.

After a relatively uneventful trip back home, Touma took a quick shower before laying down on his bed, ready to sleep. The only issue was he had a weird chill down his spine that wouldn't let him relax.

"For some reason, I have a strange feeling someone I know is perversely snuggling up to that giant Gekota plushie I won for Zapper a while back while thinking about the both of use," Touma said to himself.

* * *

The following morning, Touma had not gotten any sleep at all. With that weird feeling in the back of his head, he could relax all night. He had bags under his eyes and was clearly exhausted. The worst part was that he had another remedial class that day, meaning he was going to get a load of it from Tsuchimikado and Aogami.

"Man, Kami, you look like crap!" Tsuchimikado yelled, slapping the unlucky high school boy on the back.

"Did you have a hot date last night that wouldn't let you sleep?" Aogami asked.

"Not even," Touma lamented, slumping at his desk, "I had this strange feeling that someone was perving out over me and Zapper while snuggling the giant Gekota plushie I won her at that carnival. I wish I could meet a nice girl to date. At least then I'd have the reassurance that I'm loved and not just lusted for."

Before Touma knew it, his chair was pulled out from under him and he was on the classroom floor. This was then followed by a barrage of punches, kicks, and piledrives from Tsuchimikado and Aogami. Clearly, Touma said something wrong, but he had no idea what.

"What did I say?!" Touma yelled, begging for mercy.

"You have no right to say that when you hang out with a group of cute middle school girls every day and have a busty girl our age as a superior at your Branch Office!" Tsuchimikado yelled.

"Yeah, man! Just pick a girl already and give the rest of them to the rest of us guys!" Aogami added.

"What do they have anything to do with this?! Rotten luck!" Touma cried to the heavens.

"My classroom as become a rumble pit!" Komoe followed suit after walking in to see the chaos.

* * *

By the time remedial class was over, it was late afternoon. Touma trudged through the city, utterly exhausted. The only lucky thing to happen all day was the absence of Judgement work for the day. Everything else was pretty much hell on Earth.

As he walked past Seventh Mist, he saw a handful of familiar faces out of the corner of his eye. The sight of his friends enjoying a nice drink together was enough to put a smile on his face.

"Hey, girls!" Touma called out, moving towards their table, "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, hi Kamijou," Saten replied, greeting him for the group, "You doing alright? You look like crap."

"That's what Tsuchimikado and Aogami said," Touma chuckled stiffly, "Remember that giant Gekota I won Zapper a while back at that carnival?"

"Kind of hard to forget when Sissy sleeps with the thing every night," Kuroko responded, much to Mikoto embarrassment.

"Well, for some reason, I had this strange feeling last night that someone or something was perversely snuggling the thing with both me and Zapper in mind," Touma explained, "Kept me up all night. Weird, right?"

"Oh, yeah, weird," Kuroko agreed, sweating profusely.

"Do you have something you'd like to share, Kuroko?" Mikoto asked with a dangerous look in her eye.

"A-anyway, it's your turn to share, Sissy," Kuroko stuttered, "What would you do if you had a clone?"

"Is this about that clone rumor?" Touma asked, trying to catch up.

"Yeah, we're sharing what we would do if we had a clone," Index explained, "Kuroko wanted to use her clone to avoid their dorm manager, Ruiko wanted her clone to do her summer homework, and Kazari, Erii, and I wanted our clones to help us eat all the food we wanted."

"My own clone, huh?" Mikoto said thoughtfully, "I guess I would find it pretty weird to see an exact copy of myself. I guess I would just want it to disappear."

"Doesn't that seem a bit harsh?" Touma asked.

"Well, what would you do then?" Mikoto argued.

"Me? Well, I guess I'd help him form his own life," Touma said simply, "He may be created in my image, but that doesn't mean he has no value as a human being. I would want to help him form his own identity, create a name for himself, live his own life."

"So basically, treat him like a younger sibling," Saten summarized.

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but pretty much," Touma shrugged.

"That's so nice of you, Kamijou," Uiharu complemented, "Now I kind of feel bad for just considering a clone as a tool."

"Yeah, me too," Haruee agreed.

"Well, that's Kamijou for you," Saten laughed.

"Treat them like a younger sibling, huh?" Mikoto mused quietly.

* * *

The next day was rather slow compared to the last couple of days. Touma had no remedial classes that day, so that just left Judgement work for him. He was told to patrol a large sum of the area of District 7 for money card hunters and other notable instances of suspicious behavior. For the most part, he didn't find too much of note. By the late afternoon, there were only about a dozen cases of money cards and even fewer cases of other suspicious behavior. In most cases, a quick talking down was all that was needed to get people to hand over the money cards they found, and if things got violent a quick judo throw was all that was needed to incapacitate the perpetrators. Aside from tripping over a few abandoned soda cans and helping a few people with directions, nothing happened that was worth writing home about.

Things only got interesting when Touma pasted by a train station as the last stop on his patrol.

"Hey, it's big brother!" the unfamiliar call of a little girl cried.

Turning his attention to the voice, Touma saw a group of six elementary school kids gathered around a set of toy vending machines. Not too odd of a sight if not for the several shopping baskets of toy pods sitting nearby. In addition, none of the kids were operating the machines. Instead, there was a seventh person solely focused on one of the machines, and it was a person Touma was very familiar with.

"Zapper? Is that you?" Touma asked, approaching the group just as the girl in question turned the nob of the machine.

In an instant, the girl froze in place, completely unable to move. She then turned her head ever so slowly, revealing that she was indeed Mikoto Misaka.

"What are you doing here, idiot?!" Mikoto shrieked in embarrassment, jumping up from her squatting position.

"Um, going on patrol?" Touma replied lamely, "I should really be the one asking you that."

"Hey, big sister, look!" the little girl that called out to Kamijou earlier interrupted, holding out the pod that just came out of the machine.

After a quick glance at the pod, Mikoto immediately took it from the girl and opened it up, revealing a Gekota button. She held it up to shine in the sun, barely holding back tears of joy at the sight of the button.

"You did it, good job!" the little girl cheered as she and the rest of the children applauded.

"Isn't it pretty?" Mikoto asked, suddenly oblivious to Touma's presence.

Touma took this time to observe and analyze the situation. He noticed the large number of other pods in baskets, each one holding a similar, non-Gekota button. He also observed that the children seemed to be exhausted from the grind they must have gone through to collect all of those buttons. Finally, he saw that one of the girls in the group was wearing an identical Gekota button.

"I get it now," Touma mused, "Your Collector's Fever, right?"

"What Collector's Fever? I don't have that," Mikoto denied.

"Really?" Touma smirked, "I remember being dragged around a carnival playing every game we had a chance of winning just so you could get every piece of Gekota merch you could get your hands on."

"Carnival? Are the two of you dating?" one of the children asked.

"No! It's not like that!" Mikoto denied, sparking slightly, "I would never date someone like him!"

"Geez, you don't have to deny it so strongly," Touma lamented with tears in his eyes.

"Don't feel bad, big brother," the girl that called him over said reassuringly, "I think you're really nice! I'm sure any girl would be lucky to date you."

"Thanks," Touma replied with a somewhat lighter tone, "So, Zapper, why are you hanging out with these kids anyway."

"That? Oh, I was just minding my own business when this little girl recognized me and invited me to play with them," Mikoto explained, "You remember right? From the Seventh Mist Graviton Bombing? You were helping her shop before the bomb went off."

"Oh, right!" Touma said, playing along, "Now I remember."

"That's right! Big sister saved me from the bomb that day!" the little girl cheered, "She used her super powerful Electricity Ability to protect me!"

"Really?!" one of the children asked in surprise.

"Was that really you?" another child asked.

"Actually, I didn't do anything," Mikoto admitted sheepishly.

"Huh?" all the children said in response.

"Yeah. Really, you should be thanking him," Mikoto said, nodding to Touma, "Even though he is a Level 0, he has a much cooler ability than mine."

"A Level 0 with a cool ability? Please, you're making that up," said one of the boys, completely unconvinced.

"Oh no, it's true. He has the ability to negate other abilities. That's how he stopped the bomb," Mikoto explained.

"Okay, now I know you're making that up," the same boy cried.

"Well, how about I give you a demonstration!" Mikoto yelled, firing an electric attack at Touma without warning.

Acting on instinct, Touma jumped back and held out his right hand. As soon as the attack collided with Imagine Breaker, the sound of shattering glass was heard, and the attack vanished as if it was never there to begin with.

"Would you quit doing that!" Touma yelled in indignation.

"Wow, it's true!" the little girl that recognized the older students cheered.

"What did I tell you? Totally negated," Mikoto smirked.

"Thanks for saving me back then, big brother," the girl said with a smile.

"It was nothing, really," Touma insisted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "So, what exactly are you planning on doing with all these buttons."

Upon bring the conversation back to the topic of the buttons, everyone else present simply shrugged their shoulders. Clearly, no one considered what they would do with all of the remaining buttons that came from the hell that was the toy vending machine. Pinching his nose, Touma let out a sigh of frustration.

"Alright then, you kids help yourselves to whatever buttons you want," Touma instructed, "I'll get some bags to hold the rest of them. I think I know a place I can take these."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Mikoto asked.

"Let's just say this place is filled with children that could use something extra to smile about," Touma said vaguely as he went to grab some grocery bags.

After getting all of the extra buttons into a couple of bags, the sun had started to go down, signifying that it was approaching curfew. Thus, Touma and Mikoto escorted the children to the bus stop so they could go back to their child care facilities. Each of the children had taken about two or three buttons each, each on pinned on some location on their shirts. Then entire scene was actually a bit humorous. With Touma still wearing his armband, one might think the two older students were running a babysitting service and were returning from a field trip.

"We played for hours and hours!" cheered the little girl that knew Touma and Mikoto best.

"Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you can do nothing but play games. You have to do your summer homework too," Mikoto instructed, "You don't want to end up like this idiot."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Touma cried in indignation.

"Relax, I'm just kidding," Mikoto laughed.

"Not laughing," Touma replied flatly.

"You two act like an old married couple," one of the boys in the back of the group commented.

"Hey, I thought I told you it's not like tha-" Mikoto began to deny before suddenly stopping in her tracks.

She just stood there, starring into space. Touma found this very off-putting. Normally, she didn't let anything stop her from denying something that was clearly not true, especially if that something was embarrassing. Yet here she was, stopping before she could finish her sentence.

"Hey, Zapper, are you okay?" Touma asked in concern.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Mikoto replied, snapping out of her thoughts, "I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Touma didn't buy it for a second. He just called her by the nickname she hated so much and didn't react to it at all. Clearly, something was occupying her thoughts enough for her to not register minor annoyances like that, forcing her to put up a façade of being alright. He would leave it alone for now, but this wasn't the end of it. That much Touma knew.

Eventually, the group found a bus stop heading in the direction of the children's home. Coincidentally, it was also headed in the same direction that Touma was going.

"Thanks for playing today," the little girl said thankfully as she and the other children got on the bus.

"Any time. You stay safe going home," Mikoto replied.

"Don't worry," Touma said reassuringly, "I'll keep an eye on them until we part ways. Just make sure you do the same, Misaka. I don't want you to end up in some sort of situation where I or anyone else, including you, can't help you."

Mikoto was slightly taken aback by this. Touma rarely ever used her actual name. The only times he ever did so was if the situation was serious, like during combat or something like that. Yet here he was in a totally relaxed state, using her actual name. This could only mean he considered the situation as serious. Thus, he feared for her emotional wellbeing.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," Mikoto insisted, albeit unconvincingly.

"Okay then," Touma resigned, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," Mikoto replied as the bus door closed.

As the bus drove away, Touma took a window seat near the back of the bus with the rest of the children. Looking out the window, Touma could see Mikoto rushing off somewhere, clearly chasing after whatever was bothering her earlier. All Touma could do was watch and hope it was nothing too serious. He actually considered it a blessing that he was taking all these buttons to Asunaro Park. It would give him a chance to speak to his old caretaker, Kazuko Shigenomori, for some much needed advice.

The children's stop came before his, leaving Touma alone on the bus until his destination. Soon enough, he got off the bus and found himself at the front door of Asunaro Park. After knocking on the door three times, it opened up to reveal the smiling face of Kazuko Shigenomori.

"Hi, Miss Shigenomori," Touma greeted his old caretaker, "or is it Mrs. Daigo now?"

"No, it's still Shigenomori," the aged woman laughed, "It's nice to see you again, Touma. What brings you here?"

"Through some certain circumstances, I happened to have collected a large number of buttons," Touma explained, holding up the multiple grocery bags worth of buttons, "I figured I would bring these here for all the children. May I come inside? There's also something else I needed to talk to you about."

"Of course," Miss Shigenomori replied, "I'm sure the children would be happy to receive such a gift, especially from you in particular. Please, come in."

Once inside the building, Miss Shigenomori called all the children into the play room where Touma presented them with the bags of buttons. He told them to go to town and take whatever buttons they wanted so long as they didn't fight over them. Of course, he wasn't expecting there to be any fighting considering Mikoto drew pretty much every button they had in stock before finally getting her Gekota button.

With the children preoccupied, Touma and Shigenomori went into the kitchen to talk. The caretaker made the two of them some tea before sitting down at the table to hear Touma out.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Miss Shigenomori asked.

"Well, do you remember my friend, Misaka?" Touma inquired, "The Level 5 that volunteered here a while back."

"Oh yes, I remember her. She was such a big help," the aged woman replied, "Is something the matter with her?

"That's the problem, I'm not entirely sure," Touma explained, "Recently, she's been extremely jubilant, more so than she normally is. From what everyone else was telling me, she was bouncing off the walls the other day. When I ran into her today, she was playing with a group of children and trying to get a specific button. She's actually the reason I had so many buttons in the first place."

"Well, aside from a case of Collector's Fever, I don't see anything particularly wrong with her," Miss Shigenomori observed.

"I thought the same thing, but then, as we were walking the children home, she suddenly froze up, like she had a strange feeling about something. It was like the happiness was a façade and the strange feeling just broke it," Touma went on, "Not only that, she's recently heard about some rumors involving an experiment to clone Level 5s, with her as the prime candidate for the base of the clones. There's so going on that I'm not sure what to make of any of it. I want to help her if she has a problem, but I'm completely in the dark about this."

"Well, I'm not sure about cloning experiments, but it seems like you care deeply for her," the old caretaker noted, "You want to help her in any way you can, right?"

"Of course I do!" Touma exclaimed, "She's my friend, so of course I want to help her. Not only that, but she's helped me in so many ways that I couldn't possibly thank her enough for. I just want to be able to return the favor in some way."

"Then just keep doing what you're doing," Miss Shigenomori encouraged, "I know it's not much of an answer, but I think it's the best one. If you really want to help Misaka like you say, then keep an eye on her. Take note of the signs and step in if you think she really needs it. I'm sorry if this wasn't much help."

"No, don't worry about it. You've helped plenty," Touma said, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "I guess I just needed someone to talk to, get it all off my chest. Thank you, Miss Shigenomori."

"Don't mention it," Miss Shigenomori replied, "I told you, I'll be here if you ever need anything."

"I appreciate it," Touma said as he got out of his seat, "I better get going. It's getting late and I have remedial class tomorrow. I'll show myself out."

"Feel free to come back any time. Be sure to stay safe on the way home."

"I will. Congratulations again on the engagement."

After a quick goodbye to the children, Touma left Asuanaro Park and took the bus home. When he got home, he made himself a quick meal and got ready for bed. Touma knew that he would have to wait if he wanted to help Mikoto. Until then, he would stay observant and do what he could to help her. The best way to do that was to be properly rested. By nine o'clock, Touma had lied down in his bed, ready to rest up for tomorrow. However, just like a few nights before, he could get himself to fall asleep.

"For some reason," Touma whispered to himself, "I have a strange feeling that something just went terribly wrong."

* * *

 **Well, that's the chapter. Lots of episodes covered in one chapter this time around, all from Touma's perspective. I'm going to be jumping perspectives every few chapters or so, depending on whose perspective is most important for telling the narrative. Next time, we'll be checking in with Mikoto as she has her first encounter with Accelerator, or as Touma knows him, Yuri Suzushina. Now that's going to be a massive can of worms.**

 **I'll see you all then. Leave a review if you like.**


	28. The Same Face

**And now the moment you've all been waiting for. The introduction of the Sister themselves. It's been a long time coming, but the Sisters Arc is starting to pick up, slowly but surely. This chapter is going to be a bit on the short side, but not too short. It's also our first chapter told from Mikoto's perspective in a while. Lot's of big stuff is going to be going down, so how about we get some Q &A done to kick things off?**

 **icedshadows: ... thanks...**

 **RedSS: I hate sin counters. Always bring down creators. Still, glad you liked the direction I took with compressing several episodes together into one chapter told from Touma's perspective. Since a lot of the equivalent episodes were Mikoto doing espionage and personal investigations, it just felt right to condense them and see the other side of the coin.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Glad you're excited. Going to be one heck of a ride, that's for sure. Probably my most ambitious undertaking yet.**

 **ahsoei: To be fair, Touma's has always been pretty open about Imagine Breaker. It's just a matter of whether or not someone asks. Plus, let's not forget that this whole thing started because Mikoto took a bit more initiative to get Touma properly recognized for his heroics with the Graviton Bomb. The little girl saved from from the bomb was the last person that needed the record set straight. You can also think of this a revenge for humiliating her just a few minutes ago.**

 **fencer29: So true. Tsuchimikado truly is the master of set-ups. Plus, lots of people suffer from insomnia because of weird chills up their spines.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: What can I say? I like cute.**

 **linkjames24: Index's plot has been happening. There's just a lot of Railgun material inter-spliced. Index is present and I've already covered the Index and Deep Blood Arcs.**

 **RareSilver: Glad to know my efforts are appreciated. Accelerator's reveal is something I really really want to get right. I hope this chapter is a good start. Much more of his character and past are planned to be explored in future chapters.**

 **RPGPersona: Nice to see all your reviews! Man, you must of binge read to catch up. With how much you write when you review, I can't possibly cover everything. I'm just glad to have such a consistent reader. I will comment on your question of whether or not ODD, a metal rod, had a vibrate function, to which I say, "Phrasing." Also, the bracelet has a vibrate function for receiving communications, but not the main body of ODD itself.**

 **mohamadstar94: ... Wow, that was barely comprehensible. No plans for Touma to meet any Sisters early. Just starting his investigation early.**

 **I.D. -KamikotoMisaka: Not sure if any of the scenes in the chapter count, but I'm sure you'll still enjoy them.**

 **Generation Zero: Well, with how many people from his past in involved in the Sisters Arc in some way, you would expect Touma to become more involved himself. Since he's closer to Mikoto, his own investigation starts earlier, so he isn't thrown completely for a loop when he finds Misaka 10031. Also, Judgement work makes Touma a much more efficient detective, having him seek out clues after raising suspicion rather than stumbling upon a case.**

 **Guest (1): Well, Touma does has a Sixth Sense, but it made for detecting attacks. He's just really good at reading people in topics outside of love this time around. Great, now all I can think about is a big Mikoto and at tiny Mikoto fighting over Gekota merchendise.**

 **Guest (2): If you're hoping for a recreation of the scene in the opening, that's not going to happen. Mikoto covers her tracks too well for Touma to follow her into a facility. Plus, Touma wouldn't just go along with sabotaging a facility like that given his Judgement position. The sibiling reunion will be a much more friendly and overall positive scenario compared to the Yuri scenario.**

 **Okay, you all know the drill. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 28: The Same Face

It was past nine o'clock at night when it happened. After only meeting this person a few hours before hand, Mikoto had seen this person die, crushed under a train car. This person wasn't just some unfortunate soul Mikoto had just happened to stubble upon. She was someone she recognized all to well. Someone whose image she saw every time she looked in the mirror. She had just watch one of her now confirmed multitude of clones, her "Sisters", get killed.

The sight of such a brutal and heinous act launched her into a fit of uncontrollable rage. She couldn't think about anything other than the person that committed the crime. This albino boy dressed in black and white, lazily talked to himself about how easily he took a life and how unengaging it was. All of her anger was directed at him as Mikoto fired a blast of electricity at him.

The initial attack did nothing, harmlessly bouncing off the boy and striking the metal shipping containers next to him. The most it did was catch his attention. Mikoto didn't care about that at all. All that mattered was making him pay, no matter what it took. Charging in screaming like a mad woman, Mikoto stopped a mere ten meters away from the boy. Summoning a large portion of her power, she collected all of the iron sand in the surrounding area and created a hurricane around her opponent. She then condensed all of the iron sand until it had formed into hundreds of iron sand chainsaw swords. This storm of swords surrounded the boy, trapping him in a dome of deadly blades.

"Interesting," the boy mused, "This is quite the armory you've made here. Did one of you take up sword making?"

Mikoto didn't respond, not even listening to a word he was saying. She simply aimed all of her blades at him and fired them in unison. In an instant, the dome shrank in size, seemingly crushing and piercing its unlucky victim into a pincushion. However, just as quickly as the swords rushed in, the iron sand constructing them was dispersed, leaving the boy at the epicenter of the attack completely unharmed.

"Nice trick you've got there, making swords out of iron sand through magnetism," the boy mock complimented, "But once you understand how it's done, it's not that special."

'How?' Mikoto thought to herself in disbelief, 'I threw hundreds of swords at him, yet he's not even hurt a little bit. Not even that idiot could take that attack head on, even with the ultimate weapon against the supernatural powers, Imagine Breaker. What the-'

Mikoto never got to finish her thought as something caught her eye in her peripheral vision. Off to the left of her, laying just next to the train car that crushed her clone was a left leg. A bloody, human left leg with the same type of shoe and sock that she normally wore during the summer. It didn't take a genius to know whose leg it was after seeing what Mikoto had witnessed moments before.

The sight of the dismembered limb made her sick. She hugged herself, desperately trying do deny whatever possible scenario had occurred before she arrived to see the death itself. However, it was too much to deny, and she snapped. Mikoto let out a shrill, ear-piercing shriek, as well as a surge of high voltage electricity. Generating a powerful magnetic field, Mikoto picked up every railing and girder she could get her power on, ripping the rails of the trainyard out of the ground. They all hung suspended in the air above her, just waiting to be dropped.

"That a lot of power," the boy noted, "Are you…?"

Mikoto didn't bother listening to him. Instead, pointed every single piece of iron at him, dropping all of them in a wave of metal. The bars planted themselves into the ground, carving a path right towards the boy. However, the boy didn't show a hint of worry, only smirking as the last three iron bars dropped on him. Rather than crush or impale him, the bars simply bounced off and were hurled at Mikoto instead. Mikoto barely had time to dodge as her attack was reflected and the remaining iron bars plated themselves into the ground behind her.

'That's… impossible,' Mikoto denied in her head, 'How can I not know about an Esper who can shrug off my attacks like that. Sure, there's that idiot, but he could only negate my power itself, never the after affects of it. If I threw a railing at him, he couldn't do anything but dodge.'

"Oh, I get it now," the boy laughed, "I was wondering what this was since it wasn't on the schedule. You. You're the original."

The boy took a step forward, followed by another, and another. Slowing, he closed the distance between himself and Mikoto.

"The clones are supposed to take the original's place, but if I fight you, that would considerably reduce the number of lame combat scenarios I have to go through, right? I'm really starting to get tired of doing this. What do you say, original?"

Mikoto gritted her teeth as the boy approached closer. Her only response was to take out an arcade token, her primary source of ammunition, and hold it out in front of her. The boy stopped in his tracks, utterly confused by the metal coin.

"Tell me why," Mikoto demanded, "Why are you going along with this project?"

"Uh, can we just fight?" the boy asked, bored.

"Answer me!" Mikoto yelled, "You've got some serious power! There's no way they could force you to do anything! So, what's your reason for participating in this insanity? What could she have done to deserve this?!"

"Reason? What's my reason?" the boy replied with a twisted laugh, holding his fist in the air as if grabbing the moon, "My goal is to acquire absolute power. Not the power of a Level 5 or Academy City's top dog. Nothing that insignificant. I'm taking about the kind of power that will stop people from even thinking about challenging me. I want invincibility. You get that right, being a Level 5?"

"You're nuts, aren't you?" Mikoto deduced, starting to spark, "So you want to be invincible. Is that you're excuse? Seriously? Power's not enough, you need absolute power? That's the reason you're giving me?! The reason you agreed to kill her?!"

Her anger finally reaching the tipping point, Mikoto didn't hesitate to use her ultimate attack on him. Normally, she would never even consider using her railgun on someone so vulnerable. In most cases, her targets were inanimate objects or people protected by extremely durable protection vehicles or powered suits. Even them, she never used her railgun at its fullest capacity. But right now, she didn't care. This boy was willing to kill her clone for a reason as petty as gaining absolute power. He deserved to die in just as brutal of a way. As far as she was concerned, there was no way a human could take a hit from something moving at Mach 3.

Oh, how wrong Mikoto was. Much to her shock, her railgun was completely reflected off of her target. By a pure miracle, her reflected blast flew past her head by centimeters, piercing through the iron rails planted in the ground behind her. Meanwhile, the boy wasn't even phased.

"You make it sound so dirty," the boy mused with a relax smirked, "Stop talking like I'm a murderer. I'm fighting things, not real people. They're manufactured with the push of a button."

The smirk was quickly replaced with a look of mild confusion upon seeing Mikoto's own expression. She was completely still and looked even paler than himself.

"What are you all worked up about?" the boy asked, more out of annoyance than concern,

His tone then switched to one of amusement as the realization of what happened clicked.

"Oh, I get it now. I stole your thunder, huh?" the boy punned, "That move was your ace in the hole, and I just annihilated it! Oh, wow! Man, I knew you were ranked lower than me, but I still thought you'd have more to bring to the table than a little electricity!"

After quickly composing himself, the boy once again began to close the distance between himself and the Railgun.

"Alright, now it's my turn to play," the boy said as he approached, "You're in pretty bad shape, so I don't expect too much out of you, but at least try to keep me entertained, okay? Third String?"

"One moment please," a familiar voice said behind Mikoto.

Mikoto knew the sound of that voice all too well. After all, it was the same voice she heard every time she spoke.

"'Combat outside of the project may introduce errors into the computational predictions, so' says Misaka, 'this should stop now.'"

Mikoto turned around to see a sight she almost wished she could un-see. Standing behind her were dozens of clones of herself. Each one of them wore the Tokiwodai Summer uniform and a pair of Electron Goggles. They all had their goggles lowered in front of their eyes, as if to vocalize how they were not human, blocking off their eyes and windows to their souls.

"'Especially since big sister is a Level 5…'"

"'the skew from such combat would be considerable.'"

"'Rather than shortening the scheduled time…'"

"'… the very project itself…'"

"'… would be at risk of being ruined.'"

"Furthermore, Misaka has…'"

"'… in anticipation of experiments yet to come… '"

"'… received specific programming… '"

"'… and any alterations to the project would be very difficult,' explains Misaka simply."

"Tsk, yeah, yeah, alright, I get it. I was just messing around, anyway," the boy reluctantly complied, "And stop talking like that, it's creepy."

Once again, the boy began to walk towards Mikoto, this time with no intention of doing her any physical harm. After all, he was just told doing so would ruin his chances of getting the invincibility he so desperately craved. Still, it did nothing for Mikoto's nerves as she turned around immediately to face the boy as he took his first step forward. Now that the two of them were so close together, Mikoto was finally able to get a good look at the boy's face. Taking in every singe detail, she found what she saw disturbing, in some ways even more than the sight of the Sisters.

"Sorry about that. I guess I never introduced myself, did I," the boy said as he approached.

'Not satisfied with being the strongest,' Mikoto thought to herself.

"You probably figured it out by now, but I'm the one looking after your clones."

'A Level 5 that wants to become something even greater.'

"They're helping me achieve invincibility."

'But his facial features. I've seen them all before in that photo. His hair, his eyes, the structure of his face. Even his smile, twisted as it is now, was the same smile I saw in that idiot's journal.'

"I really should be thanking you," the boy said in a faux politeness, his face now centimeters of Mikoto's own face.

'There's no doubt that he's the controller of vectors, the number one ranked Esper in Academy City. But that's not all. The face matches too perfectly.'

"Hello there, I'm…"

'He's…'

"… Accelerator."

'… Yuri Suzushina…'

"It's a pleasure."

'… the long-lost childhood friend of Touma Kamijou.'

His piece said, the boy now identified as Accelerator, AKA Yuri Suzushina, walked away, leaving the site as if nothing of note had happened. Meanwhile, Mikoto collapsed on her feet, unable to bare the weight of the revelations brought upon her tonight. Her clones were real. They were being killed in a project to create a Level 6. Touma Kamijou's lost friend was the person doing the killing. The Sisters all accepted this fate. It was just too much to take.

"'Numbers 9951 through 10007, clear the rails…'"

"'… Numbers 10008-'"

"What's wrong with you," Mikoto cut in, cutting off the Sister's from their synchronized speech, "It's so screwed up. Why are you going along with this project? You're going to be killed. I don't get it. Why would you do this? Why? You're breathing, aren't you?! You have life, don't you?! Isn't that enough?! Who are you? Just who the hell are you?"

Mikoto could barely hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. It was just all too much.

"What, not who. Misaka is a product, created for this project. Artificial bodies with artificial minds. Laboratory animals with a unit price of 180000," the front most Sister explained plainly, not showing any emotion behind her words.

Mikoto just sat there, barely holding back the emotions welling inside her after everything that had happened.

"Goodbye then, big sister," the same Sister said as she went to help the rest of the Sisters clean up the fight.

Mikoto was left on the ground to pick herself up. There was no one there to help her.

* * *

It was ten thirty at night, and Touma still couldn't fall asleep. For some reason, he just couldn't shake off the strange feeling he had early that night. Something just felt off. His insomnia wasn't helped by the surprise phone call he got, either.

Looking at the caller ID, Touma saw that it was Kuroko calling him. Reluctantly, Touma picked up the phone, not bothering to hide how tired he was.

"What is it, Pigtail?" Touma grumbled, "I've got remedial classes tomorrow and I'm trying to get some sleep. I have enough things keeping me up as it is."

" _What?! How can this be happening?!_ " Kuroko cried on the other end of the line, " _I never would have thought Saten's prediction was true! How could you and Sissy do such things alone so late at night, and how can you do them without me?_ "

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Touma asked in confusion, "I haven't seen Zapper since this afternoon. Shouldn't she be at your dorm at this hour."

" _Wait, so she's not there? Huh, sorry about that?_ " Kuroko apologized, " _It's just that Sissy hasn't come home yet and you were the last person I called. I called Saten a little earlier and she said you and Sissy might have been having some private time._ "

"What do you take this Kamijou for, a pervert?" Touma asked in indignation.

" _I've heard some of your Delta Force debates. Do you really want me to answer that?_ "

"Okay, fine, dropping it," Touma resigned, "Listen, I'll talk to you tomorrow morning. Tell me if Zapper is alright then, okay?"

" _Okay them. Talk to you tomorrow._ "

"Goodnight," Touma replied, hanging up the phone.

Putting down the phone, Touma lied back down on his bed, starring at the ceiling.

"Misaka, what is going on?" Touma asked himself.

* * *

As the sun began to rise, Mikoto opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. She was sitting on a bench in District 7, curled up in fetal position. She recognized this bench. It was the same bench Touma had taken an injured Index to after escaping his burning dorm building. It was also, as far as she was aware, the place where she had first encountered someone from the Magic Side. The bench was starting to become a stop where people go during their lowest points.

"Oh wow, I've been here all night," Mikoto observed.

As she sat there, she noticed the sound of footsteps approaching her. Looking up, Mikoto saw the perpetrator of the spread of money cards and the very person that led to her discovery of the Project Level 6 Shift in the first place. It was the genius third year at Nagatenjouki Academy and the developer of Testament, Shinobu Nunotaba.

"Long time no see," the older girl greeted, "I thought I spotted a delinquent camping here all night on this bench. I know why you're here. You found out about the project, didn't you? There's no way you can put a stop to it. That's why I told you not to get involved."

"No, you didn't," Mikoto said plainly.

"Oh dear. Is that right?" Nunotaba mused, "My mistake."

"It's wrong. How could they get away with this?" Mikoto asked, "I might not no too much about Level 6 or whatever, but is it something they want so badly, they'll kill so many? Everyone involved with experiment must be completely insane."

"It's not quite like that," Nunotaba explained, "I won't deny that there's something crazy about it all. But in terms of morality, that's a completely different matter. Suppose a cure for cancer could be created through a miracle drug, but development of it required the experimental data from 20000 Guinee pigs. What would you do? You would say we don't have any other choice."

"That's not the same," Mikoto denied.

"Is it? They're both alive," Nunotaba argued, "And from a researcher's perspective, they are essentially the same thing. The Sisters are artificially produced Guinee pigs made for the sake of reaching Level 6. Of course, there are those that are in it for their own personal gain. And there are a few that genuinely have a screw loose. But across the board, none of them recognize this a being murder, and neither, in fact, did I."

"Wasn't that why you were spreading those money cards across the city?" Mikoto accused, "Interfere with the experiments?"

"That's correct," Nunotaba confirmed.

"But why?" Mikoto asked again, "They're not even human. Why would you want to protect them? Why?"

Nunotaba closed her eyes in thought, remanicing on the her days spent on both Project Radio Noise and Project Level 6 Shift.

"As you know, Project Radio Noise was designed in order to mass produce Level 5 Espers. When the project was frozen, I left the project team. But then, when the Sisters were taken over by Project Level 6 Shift, I was called back in," Nunotaba explained, "On day, I accompanied a Sister as she was taken out for external training. We saw the same world that day, but she saw it in a much more wonderous way than I ever could. I hate to sound trite, but it was that simple. Something changed in that moment. From then on, I could no longer just see them as products. All because she seemed so much more human than me. She saw the beauty in the world, while I could only ever see it as such an ugly thing. What about you? What do you think of them?"

"I'm not sure," Mikoto replied after a moment of silence, "It's difficult to think of clones as human. And why should I help them when they seem so ready to die?"

For a moment, Mikoto had to quickly compose herself. She wasn't about to start crying again.

"However, there are still the people that stole my DNA map and used it for their sick experiment," Mikoto continued, looking up with a determined glare, "They I intend to deal with."

"Well, aren't you the defiant one," Nunotaba mused as Mikoto stood up a walked away from the bench, "It isn't just one facility. There are more than twenty. Are you planning to do this alone?"

Mikoto stopped in her tracks upon hearing the question. Did she plan to do this alone? Her friends always said that she could count on them to help her. Most of her friends were Judgement Officers and have the goal of helping anyone they can. In the case of Touma, this was especially true. Helping others, especially those close to him, was essentially his only purpose in life. It was all he really knew after his incident. Knowing him, he would jump in to help the moment he got wind that something was wrong.

However, Mikoto couldn't let that happen. Not with this situation.

"Yes, I am. No one else needs to be involved in this," Mikoto replied, "Especially not that guy."

"Oh, so there's a boy you particularly don't want involved?" Nunotoba asked, "A crush? Maybe even a boyfriend? Someone you know cares an awful lot about you, for sure."

"The nature of our relationship has nothing to do with it," Mikoto denied, "Out of everyone I know, he's the last person I would want involved and the first to jump in if he figured in out. Plain and simple."

"But you like him, right?" the older girl deduced, seeing right through the Level 5, "That's why you don't want him to worry."

"Whether or not I like him in that way has nothing to do with it," Mikoto stated, "He knew Accelerator as a child and the two of them were the best of friends. He constantly told stories about how close they were and has been looking for him for years after they were separated. After seeing what that friend has become, I don't want that guy to see it as well. He's riddled with enough misfortune as it is. He doesn't need the knowledge that his best friend became a murderer added to that list."

"You really do intend to do this alone, aren't you?" Nunotaba mused.

"Of course," Mikoto replied, "I'm the one who made this mess. I will be the one to clean it up."

* * *

 **And there we have the introduction of Yuri Suzushina and the Sisters. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of this one.**

 **I will admit, I had a bit of difficulty determining how to write the Sister's dialogue. Since they speak in the third person, I can't decide whether to use single quotation marks for their self-narrated dialogue or just treat their dialogue like normal. I'd like all of your honest opinion on that front. There is a poll on my profile where you can vote on how the Sister's dialogue is written from now on, so go check it out.**

 **Also, any of you see what I did with the title? Same face as in clones and just like in a photo graph? Huh? Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, right hook to the face. Ah, you got it.**

 **Anyway, see you all next time. We'll be switching back to Touma for a little bit of his personal investigation.**


	29. The Consultant

**And I'm back. Man, having pretty much nothing to do during the summer really opens up your schedule. Lots of time to write, even with all the craziness that is the FGO events.**

 **This time, we swing back over to Touma as he continues his own investigation of Mikoto's activities. Admittedly, this one kind of pales in comparison to the last chapter. Then again, lots of things I've written pale in comparison to the last chapter. I did the best I could with what I had to work with so that's all I can do.**

 **You know the drill. Q &A time!**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Well, I see it as Mikoto not letting herself get worked up considering the seriousness of the situation. I wouldn't say she's a hundred percent certain about her feels just yet. As for Touma, low confidence with girls will do that to you.**

 **Kim454: That line might be referenced in the future, but not quite yet. I can promise it will come before the arc is over. Thanks for the encouragement.**

 **RPGPersona: Yeah, that was a difficult part about that chapter. I had to make minuet changes, like the type of iron sand technique used, to make it at least a little fresh, and really nail the narration. The Accelerator/Yuri reveal was my favorite part to write because it adds a whole new layer to the original version. I plan on making that reveal pay off where I can. I wouldn't be so quick to give up on that scene. I actually have a plan to still include that scene. Eh, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss.**

 **SoulReaver267: Yeah, that seems to be the consensus for how Sister dialogue is handled.**

 **Bluejack222: What, you thought I would only look at one side of a shared arc?**

 **RedSS: I really need to start paying attention to that sin counter. Yeah, the synchronization of thoughts and dialogue was my personal favorite creative choice in that chapter.**

 **Guest (1): Yeah, Accelerator's mysterious past was one of the driving forces for the creation of this story. A simple theory lead to a major plot point of the story, and forms one of the largest sources of relationship exploration. Man, that was one big tangent you took there. I don't even know where you were going with it.**

 **guess (Guest): There never was any genderbend.**

 **GhostofTime: Crazy Monday, am I right?**

 **Generation Zero: Like I've mentioned before, I don't write down scenarios that don't need anything added to them since that would be redundant. Fights might still be added if they hold emotional value, they have a lot of plot relevance, and/or I have some way to make them fresh. In this case, it was especially true since the fight acted as the catalyst for so many reveals. If Kuroko were to get involved, it would be too good. Touma needs to be in constant contact for Imagine Breaker to work, so Accelerator would be able to reflect most of her pin attacks since teleportation works through movement in 11 dimensional space. The reunion is the part I am most excited about.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Merging the two sides of Index and Railgun was always the focus, so I'm glad to see the standards for that mesh are still being met. I honestly thought the reveal was my favorite part to write. I actually heard the voices in my head as I wrote the scene. Then again, it might have had something to do with my having the episode running while I wrote. Nice to know some people thought that dialogue pattern was fine. Still, the poll is still going and no Sisters show up for a while, so I have a few more chapters before I have to make a final decision.**

 **The unlucky boy: Oh, I actually read a fanfiction that had them call each other those nicknames. Honestly, I think it would be better if the two were just on a first name basis. This is incredibly important for Accelerator since everyone else would refer to him by his Esper title, while Touma was the only one to use his actual name.**

 **icedshadows: ... thanks...**

 **mohamadstar94: What, did you think I forgot it?**

 **The Coke-aholic: Yeah, that's going to be the source of most of the drama during the reunion, more so on Accelerator's side than Touma.**

 **Scarletrailgun (Guest): Thanks!**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, lots of friction and drama in the future. Also, those aren't fireworks. Those are condensed electrons following streams of electricity being manipulated through vector interference.**

 **Chroma (Guest): Actually, a lot of what you suggested was planned a while ago, like, from the very beginning. I won't give away what those things are, but I hope you find them enjoyable when they play out.**

 **Kami (Guest): An interesting idea. However, I always wanted to have Touma in the dark for most of the arc, slowly discovering things on his own, but never enough that he finds things out too soon. It speaks volumes of his detective skill, as well as Academy City's ability to keep things hidden.**

 **Guest (2): As interesting as it would be to have the girls involved, I feel like it would be a bit too cluttered. The Sisters Arc was always about Mikoto and her refusal to accept help because she felt responsible. It took Touma's stubborn heroism for her to be saved because he was the kind of person that wouldn't take no for an answer. Plus, with how I have things planned out, it opens up lots of things for the story in the long run.**

 **Man, I make an update within a few days, but I'm still overflowing with reviews. Guess that's a good sign of how my story is performing. For now, let's get the disclaimer out of the way so we can get to the nitty gritty.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 29: The Consultant

Touma woke up completely unrested. With so much on his mind last night and the weird feeling he kept getting, he only got, at most, four hours of sleep. As much as he wanted to sleep in and get the proper amount of rest, he still had remedial classes to take. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and prepared for the day, one that was sure to be a pain to deal with.

After a quick shower to help wake himself up, Touma got dressed in his usual summer uniform and prepared himself a small breakfast. If he couldn't get his energy from sleep, he would have to settle for a well-prepared meal. While preparing a quick omelet, he received a call from a certain pigtailed girl. Checking the caller ID for confirmation, Touma tiredly answered the call.

"Hey, Pigtails," Touma greeted with a yawn, "Did Zapper get home alright?"

" _Yes, late last night_ ," Kuroko answered over the phone, " _You don't have to worry. Everything is fine._ "

"If you say so," Touma replied, relieved, "I'll see you girls later. I still have that remedial class today."

" _Alright then. See you later_ ," Kuroko said as she hung up.

Putting down the phone, Touma let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the good news. He was just glad everything was turning out for the better and not spiraling out of control like it usually does. If it did that, he would have to seriously reconsider what he defined as "normal" for his life. Deciding not to dwell on it, Touma continued to focus on his cooking as he prepared for the long day he had ahead of him.

* * *

Walking into class, Touma was surprised to see Tsuchimikado had arrived before him. His extremely relaxed position suggested that he had arrived much earlier than Touma did, which made sense considering that he didn't see the sunglass wearing boy on his way out of the dorm. What didn't make sense was the fact that the boy came early at all.

"You're here early," Touma noted.

"Good morning to you too," Tsuchimikado greeted, "I'll have you know I got up early to collect some money cards. Had to get a head start over all the other money card hunters in the city."

"Come on, we talked about this," Touma complained.

"Relax, Kami, I did it for your benefit," the blond boy defended, talking out a small stack of money cards, "If Aogami found these, you'd have to deal with him refusing to hand them over to he could get a couple of extra gal games."

"And for that, I'm grateful. But seriously, stop searching for these things. Lot's of people get in trouble because of the search for these money cards," Touma stressed.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Tsuchimikado replied, "Though, I saw something weird while I was out. A few blocks away from the dorm, I saw the Railgun camping out on a public bench. She was also talking to the gloomy girl from Nagatenjouki."

"That can't be right," Touma denied, "I got a call from Pigtails this morning. She said Zapper got home late last night."

"Really? Well, either she's lying for your benefit or I saw some sort of lookalike," Tsuchimikado deduced, "There was that rumor about them making clones of the Railgun a while back."

"Do you really have to be so suspicious about everyone and everything?" Touma asked, getting annoyed, "You sound like a spy that can't be trusted and doesn't trust anyone."

"Come on, I'm just kidding," Tsuchimikado laughed, "Besides, can you really see me as a spy?"

"How many times have you and Aogami attempted to peep in on the women's changing room at the public pool last week?" Touma asked flatly.

"Hey, none of those attempts were successful," the sunglass wearing boy defended.

"Which is exactly what a spy would do if he wanted to stay undercover."

"I hate you," the blond declared.

"I tell you two that every day, but I still hang out with you," the Judgement Officer replied.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, remedial class went off without a hitch. No pointless Delta Force brawls, no difficulties understanding the subject, no terrible penalty game at the end like No-Eyed Poker, nothing. Honestly, it creeped Touma out that the class went so well. When something even remotely good happened to him, misfortune always came back to bite him in the but at least as hard as the good fortune was enjoyable.

Still, he decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth and just go about his day. With remedial class done for the day, Touma sent Kuroko an email asking where she and the rest of the girls were. After getting word of where the girls were, Touma made him way through District 7 until he found himself at the girls' location, the arcade they took Haruee to on her first day as Uiharu's roommate. As he walked in, he couldn't help but laugh a bit the screams he heard upon entry.

"Damn it! How does Kamijoy do it?!" Saten screamed in frustration, "How does one guy punch so hard?!"

Near the front of the arcade, the girls were all gathered around the Punching Machine. The goal of said machine was to punch the target as hard as you could with the provided glove, translating the force of the punch into a score. Naturally, the Certain Strange Addition to Judgement, with his signature right hook, held the high score of 250lb. Sate, who was currently using the machine, had only reached 75lb, not even close to beating Touma's strongest punch.

"Still trying to beat my high score?" Touma asked, wearing a koi smile.

"Hey, Touma here!" Index cheered.

"We tried to tell her it's pretty much impossible, but she keeps insisting," Kuroko explained.

"Honestly, she's almost as bad as Misaka when it comes to beating Kamijou," Haruee mused with a giggle.

"You really should give up, Saten," Uiharu added, "Kamijou has punched people much larger and heavier than him through the air. For that to even be possible, he needs to punch with an upward force that at least matches his target's weight. It's simple physics."

"I'm telling you, it's just a fluke!" Saten argued, taking off the boxing glove, "Here! You try to hit your high score again, Kamijou!"

Not feeling like arguing, Touma decided to humor his fellow Level 0 for the fun of it. Putting the boxing on to his right hand, Touma stood in front of the Punching Machine and lined up his fist. He pulled back as far as he could and then let loose his signature right hook. His fist collided with the Punching Machine's target with a loud crash that could be heard throughout the arcade. A moment later, the machine displayed Touma's striking force on its screen.

"255lb," Mikoto read, clearly amused, "Congratulations, Saten, you let the high score become even more unattainable."

"Damn it!" Saten yelled, earning a laugh from everyone else present.

"Good to see you're feeling better, Zapper," Touma said, smiling.

"You make it sound like I had a problem in the first place, idiot," Mikoto replied, smirking confidently.

"Actually, I was a bit worried this morning during remedial class," Touma admitted, "Tsuchimikado said he saw you camping out on a public bench near my dorm talking with some gloomy girl from Nagatenjouki Academy. Weird right? Maybe you do have a clone out there."

"Yeah," Mikoto laughed a humorless laugh, "Maybe I do."

Her tone of voice didn't escape Touma's keen observations. Many people would claim he couldn't understand a girl's feelings, but he had always been able to tell when something was wrong with people, not just girls. A quick glance at Kuroko's concerned expression told Touma that there was more truth to Tsuchimikado's story than he had originally expected. Clearly, Kuroko hadn't been telling him the whole truth when she said told him that morning that Mikoto had come home. This warranted further investigation, but for now, he would at least try to keep everyone positive. Touma didn't want to get the others involved too quickly if the issue actually turned out to be nothing.

"So, anyone up for a round of Gekisho 9?" Touma asked, trying to break the tension.

* * *

The next day, Touma arrived at the Judgement Branch Office a bit latter than he usually did. Unfortunately, he ran into a few incidences on the way there. A few misplaced cans here, some shady looking thugs there, the usual. In addition, there were the recent cases of money card hunters throughout the city he had to give warnings to, creating a lot of detours in his commute and complaints when he had to take possession of money cards that were found.

On his way in, he bumped into Kuroko, who claimed to be heading out on patrol. However, he noticed that she had a depressed aura around her, albeit a subtle one. Clearly, something was wrong with her, and Touma had a good idea what. If he were to put money on it, he'd guess Mikoto had been hiding something from her and she felt left out. It was understandable, considering how close the two of them normally are. For the time being, however, Touma decided to push the thought to the back of his mind and focus on his Judgement work for now.

"Hey everyone," Touma greeted as he opened the door, "I saw Pigtails on the way in. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, hi Kamijou," Konori replied, "She just left to go on patrol after hearing about the recent cases of possible arson in the city."

"Arson?" Touma asked, confused.

"Yeah," Uiharu confirmed, "They've been happening to a whole lot of research facilities lately, and that was just last night."

"Honestly, I think it's just a false alarm," Saten admitted.

"Really? You're the last person I expected to just brush off a mystery like this," Touma noted, "Anyway, you mind giving me the list of facilities attacked so far? I think this is something we should look into."

"The list and a map of the city has already been sent to your Judgement email," Konori explained, "Why don't you help yourself to a sweet bun before you get started?"

On the coffee table was a 4x4 box of limited edition summer sweet buns. Miraculously enough, despite the limited number and Index's presence, there was still a couple of the colorful treats left. However, what caught Touma's eye was the box itself.

"Isn't this the box of sweet buns that Pigtails bought for Zapper the other day after Zapper left the arcade early?" Touma asked.

"Yeah, apparently, she didn't want them," Uiharu explained, "so, she gave them to use."

'Okay, there is clearly something wrong now,' Touma thought to himself.

"Well, can't let these go to waste," Touma said with a shrug as he picked up one of the buns from the box, "I'll eat as I work."

Touma went over to his desk and logged into his computer, placing the sweet bun next to him on his desk. Opening up the email with the list of attacked facilities and the map with those same facilities marked, he noticed something odd about them. The map was rather normal, simply having a handful of building marked out in red. The list was equally as ordinary as the list, simply being a list of names. However, closer inspection of those names revealed something unique about the attacks.

'Shinasame University DNA Map Analysis Laboratory, Geomagnetic Anomaly Research Laboratory, Foreign Medicine Research Center, Biomedical Genetic Research Facility, Movement and Cognitive Research Institute, Ryuden Sports Human Engineering Development Center, Duchenne Dystrophy Research Center. These are all labs focused on human antinomy and the brain,' Touma thought to himself, 'If someone wanted to create a fully functioning clone of a person in a relatively short amount of time, these would be the kind of labs with the research and equipment to pull it off. The only outlier is the Geomagnetic Anomaly Research Laboratory, but that could be useful if the clones happen to be of an Electromaster. This couldn't be connected to Zapper, could it? Are they actually trying to clone her and she's trying to put a stop to it?'

Further inspection of the data suggested that the first few attacks occurred simultaneously. The fires caused in all of these attacks were electrical, seemingly caused by random overloads to the facilities' computers. Touma didn't want to think that Mikoto had been the one responsible for the attacks, but so much evidence was stacked against her at the moment. Even if she was responsible, she had to have had some reason for doing it.

* * *

The next day, Touma was out on the town doing his patrol. On Kuroko's suggestion, the branch office decided to increase the number of active patrols. With all the craziness involving the possible arson attacks, everyone was required to do extra patrols to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. While patrolling past the river, he saw a rather unusual sight. For some reason, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, Konori, Index, and a young girl he didn't recognize were digging through the grass by the river bed.

"Hey, what are you girls doing down there?" Touma called out.

"Ah, it Touma!" Index cheered.

"Hi, Kamijou," Konori called back, gesturing towards the little girl, "We're helping Minori here find a four leafed clover!"

"A friend of hers is moving soon, so we're helping her to find a good luck charm for her as a gift," Saten added.

"Why don't you come and help, Kamijou?" Uiharu suggested.

Having heard Minori's story, Touma couldn't help but smile as the girls continued to search for the elusive four leafed clover, each of them crouched low to the ground. Minori's story honestly reminded him a bit about how he got separated from his sister and Yuri. Based on what he wrote in his journal, he wasn't able to do much for them before they got separated. This might be his chance to do for someone else what he was never able to do for them.

"Alright, I'm coming down there!" Touma called out as he began to climb down the riverside.

Unfortunately, he failed to realize how wet the riverside grass was a lost his footing after the first step. The result was him losing his balance and rolling down the hill, crashing face first into Konori's rather sizable chest, knocking her on her butt. It took a moment for the event to register properly in everyone's brains, but when it did, the reaction was rather violent.

"Why would you do that?!" Konori shrieked as she kicked the unlucky boy off her chest, leaving him flat on his back with his world turned upside-down.

"Rotten luck," Touma mumbled as he lied there in defeat.

However, his mood brightened when his vision cleared up and he saw what his head landed in front of. Right in his line of sight was a patch of four leafed clovers.

"Well, would you look at this ironic stroke of luck," Touma laughed, still flat on his back, "I get hit by a girl for a perverted accident straight into a patch of four leafed clovers. That has to be some new level of irony right here.

"Wait, really?" the girl named Minori asked in excitement.

"Yeah, look!" Touma said as he sat up, holding out one of the clovers in his left hand.

"Wow, you really did find one!" Minori cheered.

"And there's more where that came from," Touma added, getting off the ground so Minori could reap the benefits of his find.

"My, that's quite the haul, Kamijou," Konori noted, impressed.

"Well, I kind of have you to thank for it," Touma laughed, "What, with you kicking me into the patch in the first place."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Konroi laughed embarrassedly, "Though, you can't expect me to react any other way in that situation."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it," Touma replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"So you found some?" Uiharu asked as the rest of the girls approached.

"Strangely enough, yeah," Touma confirmed.

"Guess you're not the only one," Kuroko smiled, holding her own four leafed clover.

"I guess we're all going to be having a little bit of extra luck in the future," Saten mused.

"I'm not so sure about that," Touma said, looking at the clover in his hand, "But I guy can hope, I guess."

After the clover hunt, the sun had started to go down. With it getting so late, the group decided to go their separate ways for the day, with Konori volunteering to take Minori home. Now off duty, Touma had taken his armband off as he made his way back to his dorm. As he walked, he patted the four leafed clover he picked today and put in his left pocket. From what he read in his journal, his father gave him loads of good luck charms that he picked up during his business trips. None of them ever worked, most likely because of Imagine Breaker, but maybe this one would be different. Maybe it would give him even a little bit of luck. He knew he was going to need it if he wanted to get to the bottom of what was happening with Mikoto.

Eventually, Touma found himself stopped at a crosswalk on his way home. As he waited for the light to change, a certain person on the other side of the road caught his eye. It was a girl, one that appeared to be a year older than himself. She wore a school uniform and a lab coat and held an overall gloomy disposition. The sight of this girl reminded Touma of what Tsuchimikado told him a few days ago.

'Didn't Tsuchimikado say he saw a gloomy girl from Nagatenjouki Academy talking to a girl that looked like Zapper?' Touma thought to himself, 'She even has the Nagatenjouki Academy uniform. Not only that, the lab coat suggests she's also works as a researcher. Could she be involved in what Zapper is dealing with?'

By the time the light had turned green, the gloomy girl had already gone down the block a considerable distance. Acting quickly, Touma ran across the street and chased after the girl, begging her to stop. He had to know. Was she involved? Did she know anything? Did she really speak to Mikoto that morning? Touma needed answers and she was his best lead at this moment.

By the time he caught up to her, they were on a quiet side street with no one else around. Touma stopped in his tracks just behind the girl, trying to catch his breath. The girl just turned around and looked at him with a blank stare.

"Man, you know, it wouldn't have hurt for you to respond earlier," Touma said between breaths, "Is it really that hard to listen to peo-"

Touma didn't get to finish his sentence before he saw a foot flying towards his left side. Where it not for the fact the kick was extremely telegraphed due to the girl's need to do a full 360 degree to wind up and his quick reaction time, Touma would have taken a nasty blow to his side. Thankfully, he saw the kick coming and managed to block it by crossing his arms over his left side.

"Impressive," the girl said in a disinterested voice, "You managed to block my attack, despite it being a surprise."

"Not very hard when you telegraph your moves like that," Touma replied, annoyed, "Why did you even attack me in the first place, anyway?"

"Based on your possession of the prototype ODD that you keep attached to your belt and around your left wrist, I deduced you were the rumored Certain Strange Addition to Judgement," the girl explained, bringing down her leg.

'Man, that rumor has spread far,' Touma thought to himself.

"The rumor also stated you were a second year in high school," the girl continued, "I am a third year in high school. You will observe my seniority. Basically, watch you're tone with me."

"Oh, come on! That's barely anythi-" Touma argued, before getting cut off again by another surprise attack.

This time, the girl tried to chop at his forehead with her right hand. Once again, her attack was extremely telegraphed with her pulling her hand behind her head before swinging it down. This gave Touma the window he needed to catch her hand between his own just before it collided with her target.

"In addition to the tone you spoke to me with, much like you did a second ago, your behavior in trying to catch my attention was similar to that of a sexual offender. If I wanted to, I could report you for such acts and claim I was acting in self-defense," the girl threatened, "If you don't want that, I would suggest you let go of my hands."

"Okay, you've made your point, and I'm terribly sorry," Touma replied nervously as he let go of the girl's hand, "I just wanted to talk."

"Why?"

"I have a friend," Touma explained, "Her name is Mikoto Misaka. You may know her as the Railgun. Another friend of mine said he saw someone that looked like you talking to her early one morning after she camped out on a bench. Would happen to be that person?"

"Yes," the girl confirmed, "I am Shinobu Nunotaba, and I am indeed acquainted with the Railgun. Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Well, it's just that Misaka has been acting weird lately and I thought you might have known something about it," Touma admitted, "I want to help her if she has a problem, but I need to know as much as I can first."

"You really are the first one to jump in to help someone," Nunotaba said under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Touma asked.

"While it is true that I spoke to Misaka that night, and it is most likely that she is dealing with something big right now, she told me that she wanted to handle it herself.," Nunotaba explained, "She especially emphasized that she didn't want a certain boy to be involved, worrying that he would be the one to suffer most if he found out the truth. I see now that you are that boy."

"Why would she not want me involved? What's going on?" Touma begged.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to do anything," Nunotaba answered matter-of-factly, "You may be a member of Judgement and work for the law, but some things work above the law that you can't touch with your position, especially in this city."

"Well, I'm not investigating as a member of Judgement," Touma argued, "I'm investigating as a concerned friend."

"Then there really is nothing you can do," Nunotaba replied simply.

Having nothing else to say, Nunotaba turned around and started to walk away, much to Touma's annoyance.

"Wait!" Touma begged, "Where are you going? We're not done here!"

"As far as I'm concerned, we are," Nunotaba replied, not turning around, "What was your name? I don't believe you've given me it."

"Touma Kamijou. Now-"

"Goodbye, Touma Kamijou," Nunotaba said, cutting Touma off, "Take my advice. For your own safety, don't dig any further into this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment I need to make."

Without another word, Nunotaba continued to walk down the empty street, not even paying attention to Touma's pleas for answers. Touma was left alone in on the empty street, even more lost than he was before. He went looking for answers but came out with even more questions. The case just kept getting deeper and Touma felt like he barely made any progress at all.

"How far does this all go?" Touma asked himself.

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. A bit shorter than most and a bit lower quality if I'm being honest, but I still think it turned out alright. Not much to work with to begin with, so it can't be helped.**

 **Hopefully, the next chapter turns out better. I really hope it does, since in the next chapter, we take a look at Shizuri's perspective and the Mikoto's confrontation with ITEM.**

 **See you all next time! Leave a review if you like!**


	30. A Past Item

**I'm back! This time, we've got a primarily flashback chapter! Those are always fun, right? Everyone loves stories that expand on and give context to the previous events of a story, right? *Looks at Star Wars Prequels* Well, I do, anyway.**

 **So, this chapter will be introducing another key player in the story and give us context on her expanded past. This one is definitely going to be interesting, to say the least. Whether or not its good is up to you, the readers.**

 **For now, let's do some Q &A!**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Well, it's Kuroko and Tsuchimikado. Pretty in character for them, if I do say so myself.**

 **Bluejack222: Huh, nice to see someone thinks so.**

 **icedshadows: ... I can tell... but it also... makes you seem... indifferent... you do you... thanks for reading...**

 **ahsoei: When Mikoto first met Nunotaba, the older of the two tended to attack her junior when faced with disrespectful tones, at least in the anime. The first time was with a chop to the head with a school back, which was a surprise. The second time was with the same kick to the side she attempted on Touma, which was painfully telegraphed and obvious to anyone not running their mouth and being disrespectful (like Mikoto).**

 **GhostofTime: The final fight is for, well, the finale. You're just going to have to wait.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Oh, trust me. I've read his fanfictions. I know how long his chapters can get. Yeah, the last chapter was pretty much just an intermission with some world and character building and comedy.**

 **mohamadstar94: Here you go.**

 **Aquadude: That's actually a really good idea. I think I will write the fight from Shizuri's perspective. I'll try to change the dialogue a bit more in the future, but really heavy important stuff will most likely be the same, mainly the emotional bits.**

 **RPGPersona: That kind of is the central flaw of every character in this universe, they are so confident in their abilities, supernatural or otherwise, that they don't want to involve others if they don't have to, especially if the problem is personal. Tsuchimikado has admitted to seeing Touma as a real friend, so I've always though of his tongue in cheek commentary was actually his way of cluing Touma in. Had to throw in one joke about Touma's punching strength while I had the chance, especially if it gets followed up by a low-key interrogation. To be fair, the clover episode was more about showing Kuroko's concern than Mikoto's struggles, so I always gave it a pass. You got to love it when misunderstandings and vague characters mess with other characters.**

 **RedSS: ...You are having way too much fun with the FanficSins business. Seriously, make a fanfic about it, why don't ya? Still glad to have you reading.**

 **Guest (1): Is that so? Huh, adaptations, everyone! I think I'll just stick to what I know.**

 **Guest (2): Here you go.**

 **Kami (Guest): That actually is in line with his character.**

 **Chroma (Guest): She's been living with Saten. I kind of established that earlier on, like, Deep Blood early on.**

 **Guest (3): Eh, two out of three of those predictions aren't bad.**

 **And that's all of them. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 30: A Past Item

In the middle of Academy City was an unsuspecting van, parked on the side of the road. Apart form its large size and armor plating, the van looked normal enough, not worth investigating for most people's standards. Unknown to anyone, however, was that four young women were currently situated at the back of the van. Collectively, these girls were the underground freelance group known as ITEM.

Currently, the group was having a video call with their intermediary. She had a job for the group. Given their line of work, the video call had no actual video of the callers. The sole purpose of the video call was to share relevant images for the assignment.

"An Esper with the power to control electricity, huh?" the leader of the group, Shizuri Mugino, mused, looking over the several images of destroyed research facilities.

" _The attacks have been conducted via communications lines and no intruder has been caught by electronic security_ ," the intermediary explained, " _Actually, the client seems to have this narrowly profiled already._ "

"So they have a suspect in mind?" a young girl in an orange hoodie, Saiai Kinuhata, asked in confusion, "Why don't they just set up their own counterattack? I think it would be ultra easy to stage an ambush."

" _You are only to act once the target is within the facility_ ," the intermediary continued, " _And you are not to pry into the particulars. Those are the client's orders._ "

"Um, what's with these guys? I don't like how the job is going so far," a blond girl in a beret, Frenda Seivelun, complained.

" _What more do you want? A job's a job. We don't take them because they're fun_ ," the intermediary asked, slightly annoyed, " _Anyway, they sought you out for this gig. I'm sure they have their reasons. So quit your whining and get to work!_ "

"Okay!" Frenda replied, not appreciating the intermediary's tone.

"So that's the job. Just lie and wait and take out the opponent," the last girl, the quiet Ruiko Takitsubo, summarized.

"Basically," Shizuri agreed, "With one catch though. There are two facilities that our mystery attacker can potentially target."

"Oh! I'll cover one of them by myself," Frenda cheered, raising her hand.

"Huh?" Kinuhata asked, confused, "I thought you didn't like this job. Why are you so up for it now?"

"Liking the job has nothing to do with it," Frenda clarified, "I mean, if I'm the one to take them out, then I get the kill-shot bonus, don't I?"

The rest of ITEM could only stiffly laugh at Frenda's reasoning.

"Alright Frenda, just make sure you stay in contact," Shizuri agreed, "Don't get in over your head, alright?"

Frenda simply gave her boss a confident smirk.

* * *

Later that night, ITEM had split up in order to cover their bases when it came to their mystery target. Frenda took one of the facilities while Kinuhata took care of the other. As for Shizuri and Takitsubo, they waited in their van, positioned an equal distance between the two facilities. The members of ITEM sat in the back of the van while one of their associates sat in the driver's seat with a pager on standby. If the attack hit either one of the facilities, the remaining members of ITEM would be alerted by their on-post members and rush in to help.

"Ma'am," the driver called into the back of the van, "Miss Seivelun has confirmed contact with the target. We are moving out now."

"Move along," Shizuri replied, waving off the driver to start driving.

As the van started to move, Shizuri pulled out a photo from her pocket that she always had with her. The photo itself was rather old, but it didn't look any worse for wear. Clearly, it had been meticulously maintained over the years. It was only natural. The photo held a special place in Shizuri's heart, as did the people depicted in it.

"What's that, Mugino?" Takitsubo asked curiously.

"Just and old photo of me and my brother," Shizuri replied nonchalantly, "It helps me to remember why I do all of this."

Starring at the photo, Shizuri took in every detail, reminiscing on the days she spent with her younger brother. The photo had a younger version of Shizuri and a younger boy standing in front of a Child Error facility known as Asunaro Park. Shizuri had her hair tied back in a ponytail and stood behind the boy with her arms hung over his shoulders, smiling down on him. The boy had spike black hair and had a few bandages here and there but smiled brightly back at his older sister. Looking back at the photo, Shizuri couldn't help but think back to how she ended up where she was today.

* * *

 _ **12 Years Ago**_

Shizuri sat at the hospital's waiting room with clammy hands. Her parents sat right next to her, with her father swallowed in grief and her mother trying to comfort him. She couldn't blame them for their reactions. It was only natural given what had happened. It was hard to believe, but it happened. Who would have though a man would have stabbed a four-year-old boy in the back over a little superstition like bad luck?

Eventually, a doctor came into the room, a grim look on his face. He approached the family calmly, trying to maintain his professional appearance.

"How is he?" Shizuri asked, instantly jumping out of her seat.

"Your brother is fine," the doctor said reassuringly, "Even with how bad his wound is, he is expected to make a full recovery. Your brother is quite the fighter for his age."

"Can we see him?" Shizuri's mother asked.

"Of course," the doctor nodded, "Please, follow me."

Following the doctor through the hospital, the family was lead into a single, child's hospital room. Opening the door, the doctor revealed the only son of the family sitting at his bed. He had bandages wrapped around his entire torso, visable even under his hospital gown. He starred off out the window, looking wistfully at the world outside. Upon hearing the sound of the door open, the boy turned his head of spiky hair towards the door, giving his family a sad smile.

"Hi, everyone," the boy greeted.

"Touma!" Shizuri yelled, running over to her little brother in concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sis. Don't worry," Touma insisted.

"Is he really?" the father, Touya Kamijou, asked the doctor.

"Aside from a few scars on his back, he'll be just fine," the doctor confirmed.

"Thank goodness," the mother, Shiina Kamijou, sighed in relief.

"He just needs to stay the night to recover. I'll give you some time alone with him," the doctor said as he left the room.

Now alone, Touya approached his soon with a sad smile on his face.

"Hey, son," Touya said, "How are you feeling."

"I'm fine," Touma replied, "Really, I am."

"Touma," Shiina cut in, "Your father and I have been talking, and there is something we need to tell you."

"What is it?" Touma asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Touma, after some debating, your mother and I," Touya explained, "we decided we are going to transfer you to Academy City."

"What?" Shizuri asked in confusion, "You're sending him away? By himself?"

"It's not a decision we like, but it's for your own safety, Touma," Touya continued, "The superstitions about you being unlucky are nothing new, but they have been escalating incredibly fast. First, they call you the God of Pestilence, then a TV studio tries to turn your life into a reality show, and now this attack. You're just not safe in such a superstitious town. Academy City is different. The are grounded in science and won't believe in anything like luck. You'll be free from all the superstition."

"So you're just going to get rid of him?" Shizuri asked, outraged.

"Dear, it's not like that," Shiina clarified, "We'll still be in contact with him. We just want him to be safe."

"But he's so young. He can't take care of himself," Shizuri argued.

"He doesn't have to. The city takes care of children until they can support himself," Touya explained.

"Touma, you can't be okay with this, can you?" Shizuri asked her brother.

"Well," Touma trailed, "If mom and dad think it's best, I'll go. A lot of people think it's best that I stay away from them. If that is what it takes to make those people happy and leave them in peace, I'll do it."

Shizuri couldn't believe what she was hearing. Touma was essentially condemning himself to exile, voluntarily, under the pretense that it would help people. She knew he loved to help people, but to go to such lengths didn't make sense to her. She just couldn't him go through with it. At the very least, not alone.

"In that case, I'm going too!" Shizuri declared, "If Touma's going, I'm going with him to take care of him!

"Are you sure, Shizuri?" Touya asked in concern, "Sending one of our children away is bad enough. Do you really want to go to Academy City?"

"Some has to keep an eye on Touma. Knowing him, he's going to get himself into trouble if no one is there to watch him," the young girl insisted.

"What about you, Touma?" Shiina asked her son, "Are you okay with this?"

"If Shizuri is coming along, I'm sure everything will be just fine," Touma replied with a gentle smile.

"Well, she has always taken after her mother," Touya mused, scratching his head, "Okay then. It's settled. You will both transfer to Academy City starting next term. Remember, I want you two to look out for each other. We won't be there to solve every little problem for you."

"Right!" the children affirmed.

* * *

The brother and sister's first day in Academy City was met with mixed results. It started off nice enough with their welcome into Asunaro Park, their home until they reached middle school and could take care of themselves. The director of the facility, Kazuko Shigenomori, was especially nice, treating the pair like they were her own children. When they first moved in, the pair took a picture in front of the building, which Touma later added to the journal he started keeping.

Since school wasn't going to start until the next day, Touma and Shizuri decided to explore the city for a bit. Eventually, the ran into a playground, where the two of them decided to check out. Sadly, Touma ran into a lot of bad luck while they were playing. In the sandbox, he ended up stepping in a piece of dog poop that was buried in it and the sandbox itself started to leak. When he tried to sit at a swing set, the chains suddenly snapped, dropping him and his seat on the ground. And to top it all off, as soon as he sat down on the top of a slide, the whole thing came loose from its upper joints, causing it to fall over and drop Touma off it.

Shizuri had to treat the slight cut he got on his head after that last incident. Unfortunately, this string of misfortune was not unnoticed by the other children of at the playground. A group of boys Touma's age approached the siblings as the older of the two treated her brother's wounds, clearly annoyed by all the broken equipment.

"Geez, what's wrong with you, kid? You managed to break everything in the playground," one of the boys complained.

"Yeah, every time you stepped even remotely close to something, it broke and became unusable," another boy added.

"What, is you power the ability to break everything you touch?" the last boy asked mockingly, earning a laugh from the other boys.

"Leave him alone," Shizuri demanded, finished with Touma's injury, "It's not his fault everything broke. We haven't even been through the Power Curriculum Program yet."

"Oh look, his girl friend is defending him," one of the boys teased.

"I'm his older sister, thank you very much," Shizuri corrected, standing up to face to boys.

"Oh, like that makes much of a difference."

"Even if you haven't been through the curriculum yet, he could be a Gemstone," another boy pointed out, "You've heard of those, right? Natural born Espers?"

"Yeah, maybe he's got the ability to ruin everything since he was born!"

"Look, the brat's starting to cry too!"

"Come on, Touma. Let's go," Shizuri said with a huff, grabbing her brother's hand.

Clearly, not the best start for the pair. First day in the city and already, somebody is making claims that Touma creates misfortune just by being in the area. Things only got worse the next day when they learned the boys teasing Touma were also in his class. Every day, the boys would tease Touma, saying he was a Gemstone that caused calamity just from existing. This got even worse a when the class had its first system scan and Touma was revealed to be a Level 0. His scores were so low that they were nonexistent.

With no alibi that he had an ability, the tease quickly shifted into claims that Touma was the embodiment of bad luck, just like back at their home town. Granted, it wasn't as bad since Academy City was a place of science and superstitions held little weight, but the idea still stuck in Academy City's rumor mill. Soon enough, Touma's entire school had heard of his incredibly bad luck, and every student either avoided him for their own safety or bullied him to make themselves feel better about their lack of progress with their Esper abilities. The later option was especially prominent when it was discovered that Shizuri had already advanced to Level 2 as early by her first system scan, fueling the bullies with jealousy.

Every day, Touma came home to Asunaru Park with at least a few injuries, either from accidents involving his misfortune or bullies that occasionally got physical. Miss Shigenomori and Shuzuri found themselves constantly preoccupied with treating Touma's injuries, so much so that they had a first aid kit dedicated to Touma in specific. Touma couldn't make friends because of the rumors, and bullies only made sure that other kids kept their distance. His only real respite had been the comfort that his sister was there with him.

However, that all started to change within a month. One day, Touma had a particularly bad day, so Shizuri took him out to get some ice cream to cheer him up. After exploring the city for a bit for an ice cream parlor, they found one just outside of a park. Shizuri left Touma at a bench, telling him to stay put until she got back. When she went to the ice cream parlor, she was surprised by how long the line was. By the time she got to the front, they had run out of ice cream and only had popsicles left. Settling for what she could get, Shizuri bought them two bagged popsicles. When she returned, she found Touma not sitting at the bench she left him. Rather, he was standing in front of it, holding the hand of an albino boy his own age.

"Hey, sis, look!" Touma cheered, waving to his sister as she approached, "I finally made a friend!"

"Did you now?" Shizuri asked, inspecting the albino boy, "And who might you be?"

"Y-yuri Suzushina," the boy replied meekly.

Shizuri couldn't help but smile at the reaction. The boy seemed genuine enough. She could tell based on how nervous he seemed. It was the kind of nervousness that came with meeting someone new, not the kind that came when you thought you've been caught in a lie. It was a sign that things were starting to look up.

"Well, Yuri, I'm Touma's older sister, Shizuri," she said, offering both of them the popsicles, "I hope you'll treat my brother well."

Things really started to look up after Touma met Yuri. They later learned that Yuri had been going to the same school as Touma, a mere one classroom over. Thus, Touma finally had someone to be with during school. Yuri apparently faced similar problems to Touma, being an outcast due to his power constantly hurting people whenever they reach out to him, literally at metaphorically. This revelation also led to Touma's discovery of his ability to negate other abilities with his right hand, an ability that while hard to believe, quickly spread like wide fire within Academy City's rumor mill.

With Touma no longer alone all the time, he was also able to start making other friends since people were less afraid to approach or be approached by him. His naturally helpful nature drew him a lot of attention from his peers, especially from girls. Of course, with Shizuri's watchful eye constantly on her precious little brother, the girls kept their distance form the surprisingly popular young man. Shizuri wasn't about to let her brother get a girlfriend yet, especially not at his current age.

Of course, that was not to say that everything was peachy from then on. Touma still faced misfortune day in and day out, though the blow was handled much more easily thanks to support form his sister and friends like Yuri. The more concerning problem was the bullies that continued to target Touma for his rotten luck and resentment of his sister's ability. Touma always said he could deal with them, but the bruises that he always came home with after meeting them told Shizuri otherwise.

Still, those first two years in Academy City were some of the happiest Shizuri could remember. During their time at Asunaro Park, Touma decided to take up cooking. It started out messy at first, but his improvement was incredible. The food he made was some of the best she ever tasted. When Shizuri reached Level 3, Touma made her a special cake to celebrate. It was one of the sweetest thing he had ever done for her, and the smile he gave her upon presenting the cake made coming to Academy City so much worth it.

Still, there where things she wished the city was without. For one, she wished the city wasn't so harsh on lower level Espers when it came to stipends. As a Level 3, Shizuri made a decent amount. However, her brother, being officially the weakest Level 0, barely received enough money to survive on his own if he budgeted. It just struck her the wrong cord. However, the thing she really wanted to get rid of was the bullies, the ones that targeted her brother. Ever since they arrived in Academy City, those same bullies made Touma their main target. Touma was unlucky enough to end up in the same class as them for two years straight, so there was no way to shake them loose. Never in a million years could Shizuri forgive them for what they put her precious little brother through.

One day, Shizuri was out on the town by herself, just minding her own business. It was then when it happened. That was when she met the bullies torturing her brother, face-to-face, alone.

"Hey, you're Kamijou's sister, right?" a familiar voice said behind her.

Turning around, Shizuri saw the three people she detested the most, her brother's bullies. They stood stiffly, barely moving their feet and twiddling their thumbs. The one at the front of the group stood the stiffest out of all of them, holding a rather large box in his arms.

"Oh, it's you three," Shizuri said with a hint of disgust.

"Uh, yeah," one of the boys said awkwardly, "We were just wondering if you knew where your brother was."

"Yeah," another boy added, "We wanted to talk to him about something, but we didn't know where to find him. We figured you might know, since you're his sister."

"He's busy right now," Shizuri replied coldly.

"Oh, well, could you give this to him for us?" the middle boy asked, holding out the box he was carrying.

"What's in the box?" Shizuri asked skeptically, "Mud pies? Dog poop?"

"What? No, we where just- Agh!" the boy on the left cried, gripping his right shoulder.

Before the boy could even finish he sentence, Shizuri held up her finger and fired a small, green blast of condensed electrons at the boy's shoulder, tearing his sleeve and grazing him. Her gaze remained indifferent as she committed the act.

"Are you okay, man?" the boy holding the box asked.

"What was that for? We just wanted to tal-Arg!" the boy on the right screamed, holding his grazed left arm.

"You just wanted to talk?" Shizuri asked menacingly, "You've tortured my little brother for two whole years without end and you expect me to believe you just want to talk?!"

"Please, listen, we don't want any troub-Ow!" the last by cried as he held his burnt hand, dropping the box on the ground, ruining it.

"No, you listen to me," Shizuri demanded, "Those three blasts were warning shots. If I ever see or hear about you picking on Touma ever again, the next shots will be much worse. Have I made myself clear?"

The three boys in front of her were frozen in fear. She could see it in their eyes. It was the kind of fear that showed that they knew she meant business, that she would own up to her threats. Eventually, the boy's all nodded frantically with tears in their eyes before running away like wounded dogs. She wasn't going to hear from them any time soon.

With the boys now gone, Shizuri looked down at the box they had dropped, now bent and broken beyond any presentable form from the drop. Sticking out from the edge of the ruined box was a white piece of paper. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Shizuri lifted up the lid to find the box full of store-bought chocolates and a hand-written note. Picking up the note, Shizuri read it contents, only to find herself shocked at what was written.

 _Dear Kamijou,_

 _We wanted to give these to you as a token of our gratitude and sincere apology. We know we haven't gotten along in the past, especially with use constantly teasing you like we did. However, we will always be grateful for what you did for us. If you didn't intervene, we would have been at the mercy of those older kids when we wandered into the wrong part of town. We hope you accept our thanks and our apologies._

Shizuri could hardly believe what she had just read. Everything in the note sounded so genuine, it would be hard to believe it to be a lie. The boys truly did want to talk, simply wanting to say thank you and apologize to Touma. Yet, she stopped them from doing so, threatening their lives when all they wanted to do was make amends. What would Touma think? He was always a pacifist, preferring to talk things out before they got violent. What would he think of her if he ever found out.

Horrified by what she had just done, Shizuri dropped the note and ran home, abandoning the ruined box of chocolates on the ground. When she got back to Asunaro Park, she curled up on her bed, trying to forget what had happened. She could never let Touma find out. She couldn't bare to think how he would react to what she had done. However, she was interrupted when Miss Shigenomori came into the room, telling her someone had come to visit her.

When she stepped outside of the building, she found herself faced with a man in a black suit and sunglasses. He had a purely professional feel to him.

"Who are you?" Shizuri asked.

"Who I am is of no concern," the man replied, "All you need to know is that I am a representative of the city's board of directors."

"Why are you here then?" Shizuri asked.

"The board has a particular interest in you, Shizuri Kamijou," the main explained, "They believe you have the potential to become much stronger regarding your Esper ability and wish to give you access to special training, so you can reach that potential. All you need to do is come with me and my men to a special facility, alone."

"As enticing as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

"You need to take care of your little brother."

"How did you-"

"We have been watching you for a very long time. Including your little incident earlier today."

Shizuri bit her lip at that revelation.

"Have you ever considered what lies beneath the surface of Academy City's towering skyline?" the man continued, "There are many powers working in the shadows, taking advantage of unsuspecting citizens, such as your brother. If you come with us, we can give you the chance to disappear, leaving that accident earlier today behind and grow stronger so you can fight against the forces that seek to feed off of the ignorance of citizens like your brother. Even the board of directors can be corrupted, but you can be the one to keep them in line and make sure this city is a place for your brother to live his normal life. We will also do what we can to ensure that he is properly catered to and can live on with a sense of stability even after he leaves this facility. Is that not what you wanted? A normal life for your brother, free of danger and hardship?"

Shizuri thought about it for a minute. She didn't want to leave Touma all alone, but this is the perfect opportunity to accomplish what she came to Academy City to do in the first place. Touma had seen enough hardship in his life with all of his bad luck. If should could maintain the city from the shadows, make it so Touma didn't have to fight to live a normal life, make it so he didn't have to be put in danger, that wouldn't be so bad. And if she had to disappear from his life, that would be okay too. At the very least, he wouldn't learn about the horrible act she committed.

"Okay," Shizuri responded, "I'll go."

Having received an agreement, the man spoke into his radio and called in the rest of his men. In not time flat, the men gathered all of her belonging and loaded them in several vans. During the chaos, Shizuri entered the room that boys slept in and found Touma's journal. Flipping through the journal, she managed to find the only picture he had of her, the photo they took when they first moved to Academy City. Taking the picture out, Shizuri then returned outside with the men taking her away with a limousine ready. As they drove through the city, she saw Touma walking home from school, completely oblivious to her absence.

Since then, Shizuri took on her mother's maiden name, Mugino, further hiding her identity from her brother. She learned she had a sadistic side to her, the development of her powers most likely being the driving force behind her personality's development. After learning so much about herself and about Academy City's Underworld, she didn't want Touma to ever find out. Some things were better kept buried.

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

"Ma'am we have arrived," the diver said, stopping the van.

"Good," Shizuri replied, putting away the photo, "Come on, Takitsubo. Hopefully, Frenda didn't blow the place up too much."

When the two remaining members of ITEM entered the facility, they were greeted with a rather large mess. The entire room was blown to smithereens, scorch marks covered the walls and floors, and an entire flight of stairs had been taken out. Throughout the room, remnants of stuffed dolls could be seen, a clear indicator that Frenda was responsible for the explosions. After a bit of work, the pair was able to find an alternate route up to the floor with a large, mechanical door. Knowing Frenda, she most likely lured the Electromaster there to corner and confront them. This was only confirmed by the sounds of struggling, explosions, and electrical buzzing on the other side.

When the sound final began to die down, Shizuri decided to take matters into her own hands and check for herself. Unleashing her ability, she fired a single beam of condensed electrons, melting a hole through the door. On the other side was a collapsed Frenda, held at zap point by their mysterious Electromaster.

"It got quite in her all of a sudden," Mugino noted as she stepped through the door, "I was sure the Electromaster finished you off. Looks like I got here just in time. Hello, Frenda."

* * *

 **And that's one flashback chapter covered! Now I can finally cross that off my bucket list.**

 **So, next time, I will be covering the the Mikoto vs Shizuri fight, which my or may not be written from Shizuri's perspective. Who knows? I certainly don't, and I'm writing this thing.**

 **See you all next time. Leave a review if you like.**


	31. Electric Battle

**Little mishap when writing this chapter. I was about 3/4 of the way in when the flashdrive that I store all of my data on got corrupted. I had to reformat the thing to use it, but as a result, all the data got deleted. I tried to retrieve the data, but that went bust because it ended up retrieving data I had intentionally deleted in the past. So that's 2 years worth of data down the drain, including every fanficiton I put to digital form, some of which I never posted. So, I was left to rewrite this entire chapter from scratch, and since I like having an archive, I subjected myself to the long process of pulling the previous chapters off of this site. Yeah, real fun time.**

 **Miraculously, I was able to rewrite this chapter in under 24 hours, even with this chapter covering the events of 2 episodes. Then again, this chapter didn't have much in terms of new stuff apart from dialogue and a deeper look into certain characters and motivations given the changes in lore I previously made. Yeah, don't expect to much from this chapter. It's admittedly rushed, but at the very least it's presentable.**

 **So, for now, let's do some Q &A.**

 **icedshadows: Yes... yes it is...**

 **RPGPersona: I felt the flashback was a good way to expand on her character and make appropriate use of the time, given that the Mikoto/Frenda fight is largely unaffected by the changes I made so far. Well, she did steal the photo from his journal. I wanted to portray Shizuri as this cool big sister with Yandere tendencies. She's basically a more extreme version of Shiina with lasers. The thing about the Sisters Arc is that it opens up a lot of opportunity for exploring the past considering the people whose backstories I've tweaked, making this arc my biggest challenge so far. Don't worry, her finding out the truth regarding Touma's living conditions plays a big part in their reunion later.**

 **Mkoll: Really though, what reunion isn't awkward on some level?**

 **Bluejack222: Backstory is love; backstory is life.**

 **The Coke-aholic: That was kind of part of my logic for making Shizuri a missing older sister for Touma. I've always been a follower of the Freudian school of thought. Later on, I'm implementing the Oedipus and Electra Complexes. Trust me, its not as creepy as it sounds in the original myths. They basically say that children look for romantic partners that reflect their parents' relationship with one another. Remember how I said Touma takes after Touya and Shizuri takes after Shiina?**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, admittedly, the flashback was a bit rushed, but can you really blame me when i'm covering two years worth of history and choose to only focus on major elements like intros to characters and major turning points?**

 **Generation Zero: I actually do have something planned for just after the Sister's arc for the siblings to reunite. Sorry, ITEM won't get involved in the final fight since Shizuri decides to just watch how everything plays out.**

 **Guest (1): Hope I didn't keep you waiting.**

 **Guest (2): Oh, I'm sure the reunion will set off lots of powder kegs when all the truths are revealed.**

 **SoulReaver267: I'm pretty sure his sister in on that list of people he would never punch. Plus, I have no plans for them to meet during a conflict since they would never be in the same place during a conflict and Shizuri wouldn't want to fight her brother in the first place.**

 **Aquadude: That's actually exactly what I did. The entire chapter is more of a Shizuri chapter than a Mikoto chapter, in all honest.**

 **RedSS: Wait, how is a flashback chapter a sin?! I thought backstory was a good thing?!**

 **fencer29: Shizuri kept her first name. She's just using her mother's maiden name as her surname to cover up her surname of Kamijou. Thankfully, Shiina was never given a canon maiden name, so I had an easy fix for that potential inconsistency. It's true, Shizuri knows not to fully trust any sort of document given to her by the Underworld, but she has no real other option. Obviously, the most accurate information would come from meeting Touma directly, but this would blow her cover. Remember, as far as she knows, Touma still remembers her face. Your sister's face isn't something you just forget over time. She has no idea that he had an accident. Direct interaction with him would expose her.**

 **mohamadstar94: Touma won't be in conflict with his sister, at least not physically. They don't meet until the end of the Sisters Arc.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Well, it is a flashback. You don't expect a seven-year-old girl to know that many swears. As for Frenda's tick, that my fault for not improvising the dialogue enough. Her tick is translated to "All told" in the dub, and the few lines she happened to speak in the scenes she was involved in didn't have her use it at all. Looking back, I did have an opportunity to add it, so my fault.**

 **Kami (Guest): She cut a girl in half, is this level of brutality really that surprising? "Mugino" is, in this continuity, her mother's maiden name. It helps to hid her identity from her brother. A sympathetic Shizuri is actually what I'm going for here. Like I said, she has a sadistic side, but its not** **necessarily** **a side of her she's too fond of. Remember her horror at the though of having threatened those bullies and what Touma would think if he found out? That's her distaste for her sadistic side right there.**

 **Kim454: Thanks for the tips on the timeline. I'll have to take those into consideration when ordering certain other events.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 31: Electric Battle

After blasting open a hole in the door, Shizuri was greeted with a less than appealing sight. Frenda was kneeling on the ground, completely at the mercy of their target Electromaster. He clothes were slightly singed and there was a burn mark on the floor in front of her. The target held her at pointblank range, the perfect range to fire a shock and hold an interrogation. Given the severity of her injuries, Frenda must have taken quite a few shocks from the fight and the interrogation. Knowing Frenda, she probably said something to save her own skin. Then again, it wouldn't be a surprise if all the shocks she was getting left her with a numb tongue and unable to speak. Still, it was a rather disappointing sight.

"What were you thinking? My orders where to just container. You weren't supposed to start an actual attack until we arrived," Shizuri reprimanded, "If you had listened to what I had said, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Instead, you were just too damn eager and got yourself caught. What a rookie move."

As Shizuri listed off the multiple flaws in Frenda's strategy, the blond girl visibly got less relieved and more ashamed of herself, dropping her head lower and sweating more profusely. Meanwhile, Takitsubo was busy picking up Frenda's hat from the ground, dusting off the ash and soot it had collected from all the fighting. Once the beret was sufficiently clean, she put the hat back on its rightful place on the blond girl's head.

"It's okay," Takitsubo said comfortingly, "I know you can't help it, you just get like that sometimes."

Frenda gave her comrade a glance, looking rather offended by her description.

Suddenly, the members of ITEM found themselves face-to-face with a giant, metal canister hurdling at them at high speeds. However, the canister was of little consequence as Shizuri instantly disintegrated it with a quick blast of condensed electrons, turning it to ash. From beyond the ashes, she saw their mysterious Electromaster, the one responsible for the attack on the facility and themselves. Clearly, she used magnetism to throw the large object, a feat that Shizuri found mildly impressive.

"Nice try. You're the one whose been causing all this trouble, huh?" Shizuri deduced.

With a deceptively lighthearted laugh, Shizuri generated a large number of condensed electrons between her hands. A second later, she fired the electrons in the form of a beam straight at ITEM's target. The beam generated a powerful explosion upon impact, engulfing the target a plume of smoke. However, the target remained active, jumping out of the cloud and attaining the high ground by magnetically sticking to one of the support pillars in the room.

"So now you're sticking to the walls with magnetism, huh? What, where you bitten by a radioactive spider too?" Shizuri taunted.

The target didn't respond. She simply grabbed more metal rubble in the room with magnetism and threw them at the fourth ranked Level 5. Shizuri barely registered these attacks as threats, simply blocking and destroying them with a wall of condensed electrons. What was concerning was the target's ability to stick on to the walls like she did. Such an application of her ability would give her a mobility advantage over ITEM, especially in a modern research facility with an internal structure made entirely of steel. However, they had a contingency for that.

"Takitsubo," Shizuri called out, tossing the girl a small box, "You know what to do."

The quite girl simply nodded, complying with her orders.

The two electricity based Espers continued in one-on-on combat, with Shizuri mostly on the offensive. The target ran and jumped across the walls of the room as Shizuri fired several blasts of energy at her. The mysterious Electromaster attempted to retaliate with a shock but was surprised when her attacked missed. It wasn't that her aim was off, but rather that it was redirected. Just before the attack landed, Shizuri created three orbs of condensed electrons, orbiting them in the palm of her hand. Once the shock got close to the orbs, it followed the orb's rotation, cleanly missing their intended target. Shizuri then fired the three orbs as three different beams, each one aimed at a different location around the target in an attempt to control her movements.

Meanwhile, Takitsubo poured out a small amount of the contents of the box Shizuri handed her on to the tip if her finger. The box contained the fine white powder of a grounded Ability Crystal, the same experimental Ability Crystal developed by the combined efforts of Gensei and Therestina Kihara. Licking the tip of her finger, Takitsubo consumed a small dose of the Esper ability enhancing drug. In an instant, the strength of her Esper ability skyrocketed, overdriving it. Her eyes became dilated and unblinking, as if the power boost slowly robbed her body of natural functions. Combined with her usual quiet demeanor, Takitsubo had a rather off-putting aura around her.

Coming out from hiding, Takitsubo focused intensely on their target, the mysterious Electromaster. The target noticed this and decided it was about time to make a strategic retreat. Acting quickly, she dropped to the ground and overloaded a nearby control panel. This triggered a gas line to burst, coating the room in a thick steam. By the time the steam had cleared, she was long gone, escaping through one of the holes Shizuri melted in the walls during the fight.

"She got away," Shizuri lamented, "Takitsubo?"

"Not a problem," the drugged girl replied, "I've already memorized the target's AIM diffusion field."

"Alright then, where?"

"That way," Takitsubo said, pointing towards a nearby wall, "100 meters away, 10 degrees down."

"Perfect," Shizuri said with a smile, firing a blast through the wall at the specified location.

"Target unharmed," Takitsubo relayed, "Appears to have tripped and dodged just before impact. Adjust 5 degrees to the left."

Making the necessary adjustments, Shizuri fired another shot, creating yet another hole in the wall.

"She's dodging us," Takitsubo reported, "The target remains whole and active."

"What did she do, jump on to the ceiling?" the Level 5 asked, ticked, "That arachnid move is starting to bug me. Takitsubo?"

"Right," the quite girl replied, giving herself another dose of the Ability Crystal.

'Those two are as awesome as ever,' Frenda thought to herself, 'First we have the fourth ranked Level 5, Meltdowner. Then, there's Takitsubo, with the ability to track an Esper from anywhere, AIM Stalker. ITEM's got it made with this Level 5/Level 4 combo. Is there anybody who can escape from them?'

"Aw towd, naut vewy wikwy," Frenda cheered with a numb tongue, "Ey, I can tawk!"

While Frenda attempted to regain the use of her tongue, Shizuri flipped her hair over her shoulders in anticipation. As annoying as their target was, she was creating a rather engaging game of cat and mouse.

"I don't know who our mystery saboteur is, but I do know she won't be at large for much longer," Shizuri declared, "All we have to do now is box her in and make sure she can't escape."

The plan was simple, but effective. Takitsubo would track down the target's position while Frenda and Shizuri would take turns attacking. Shizuri took the lead as she was capable of attacking the target no matter where she was. Frenda attacked whenever possible, setting off her many bombs remotely through the large trails of explosive tape she set across the entire facility ahead of time. However, something was off about how the attack was going. For some reason, they just couldn't hit the target. The bombs were understandable since she could see them when they go off, but Shizuri's blasts come from behind the walls, so it should be impossible to see them coming, especially with how fast the move.

"Target changed position, 20 meters to the northwest," Takitsubo reported, momentarily losing her balance.

"Tsk, I just can't seem to hit her, huh?" Shizuri lamented, rubbing her shoulder.

'I don't think it's just the way she's moving,' Shizuri thought to herself, 'It's almost as if she can detect my attacks and dodge them accordingly. The only Espers who can even theoretically do that are especially high leveled Clairvoyants, Precognition users, and Electromasters. We already know she's not the first two, but for an Electromaster to accomplish something like this, she' have to…'

"Are you okay?" Frenda asked her friend in concern.

"Mhm, still standing," Takitsubo said reassuringly.

Looking over her shoulder, Shizuri saw a weak looking Takitsubo being slightly supported by Frenda. The dark haired girl waved hello, trying to give off the impression that she was fine.

'Takitsubo's AIM Stalker is handy, but it's a difficult ability to use since it needs to be intentionally overdriven,' Shizuri surmised, 'It can't be sustainted for long. Based on Takitsubo's reports, the target's progression towards the facility's central hub is slowing down. Given everything she's been through tonight, she must be on the end of her rope, but still has some compelling reason to not turn back. It won't be worth it to keep using Takitubo at this point. If we wait for the target at her destination, she's sure to show up soon enough. She's a wounded beast, tired but more unpredictable and dangerous. It's a risk, but I should be fine if I keep my cool against her.'

"It's so unlike me to set up an ambush," Shizuri laughed, "I'm actually getting excited. Hey Frenda!"

Even if she had a plan for an ambush, ITEM still had the strength for one more ranged attack. Using Frenda's bombs to box the target in, Takitsubo was able to confirm that the target was left in a position where she would be unable to dodge. All it would take to kill her now was a single blast from Shizuri. However, things did not go as expected. Shizuri could feel it as her Meltdowner was manipulated, like someone grabbed an extension of herself turned it around.

"My Meltdowner should have taken her out," Shizuri mused, analyzing the situation.

After a moment of thought, everything clicked. It was the only explaination.

"So that's it," Shizuri said with a deceptively jubilant laugh, "I understand now."

Suddenly, Takitsubo collapsed on her knees, pushed near her breaking point by her overdriven ability.

"Whoa, we go a woman down!" Frenda cried as she raced to her friend's side.

However, she found that she could barely move as he muscles stiffened, still sore from all the shocks she took from the Electromaster earlier that night.

"Are… you… okay… Takitsubo?" Frenda asked, struggling to support her friend.

"Frenda, take Takitsubo and meet up with Kinuhata," Shizuri ordered.

"I'll be alright," Takitsubo insisted weakly, "I can still help."

"This isn't just for your sake, Takitsubo. Frenda's in pretty bad shape too," Shizuri explained, "You took some pretty bad hits from the Spider-Girl, didn't you Frenda. You're playing through the pain and its bad. In addition, if Takitsubo reaches her limit, she can't detect enemy attacks. I can't protect both of you at the same time. That'd be too difficult."

"O-of course," Frenda stuttered, "I'm sorry we've been holding you back."

"It's not like I'm blaming you for it or anything," Shizuri insisted, patting Frenda's head, much to her surprise, "In fact, I think you did quite well. Thanks to you, our opponent is on the ropes. Let Kinuhata bring up the rear. You two should get some rest."

With nothing else to say, Shizuri walked away, leaving her teammates to make a strategic retreat.

"Mugino…" Takitsubo breathed.

"She was… really nice to use," Frenda noted in surprise, "All told, it was like she was a big sister or something."

'A big sister, huh? Been a decade since I've seen him, and I still act like that,' Shizuri mused as she walked through the door, 'At least it gets them to leave. I wouldn't want the record to say I beat her just because I had the numbers advantage. Academy City's third ranked Level 5.'

Letting her sadistic side take control, Shizuri flashed a twisted smile and let her power flare in her right hand.

"The Tokiwodai Railgun," she said in anticipation.

* * *

With very little effort, Shizuri made her way to the central hub of the research facility. She stood just outside the central hub, patiently waiting for the arrival of the third ranked Level 5, the Railgun, Mikoto Misaka. It took a bit longer than expected, but she appeared before the leader of ITEM, exactly as she expected.

"Ah, you're finally here," Shizuri greeted, "So, you like being fashionably late, huh?"

However, as soon as Mikoto walked through the door, Shizuri could see that she had something in her hands. Bunched up together in each had were a handful of stuffed dolls, the same dolls Frenda used to hold her bombs.

'Frenda, you forgot to clean up after yourself,' Shizuri growled in her head.

"Where are your little buddies?" Mikoto asked, looking around.

"I sent them away," Shizuri explained, keeping her cool, "because I wanted to take you on personally, Railgun."

Mikoto physically reacted at the reveal that she had been discovered, but she quickly composed herself. Instead, she let her actions speak for herself, throwing a doll straight at her opponent. As soon as the doll was close enough, Mikoto fired a small shock at it, setting it off in midair. However, the blast was easily blocked by the shield of condensed electrons that Shizuri crafted for herself.

"You're using Frenda's bombs to compensate for the fact that your power has been diminished," Shizuri deduced, "However, you do realize that by doing so, you're admitting your too weak to beat me on your own, right?"

Mikoto didn't respond, instead electing to throw another doll at Shizuri. Shizuri was temporarily thrown for a loop. Surely, this girl wasn't dumb enough to try the same trick twice. For all she knew, the bomb was just a distraction to get behind or past her. Rather than leave it up to chance, Shizuri elected to blast the bomb herself and destroy it before it became a problem. However, as soon as she fired, the doll somehow managed to dodge.

"Wait, did you rig the bomb somehow?!" Shizuri asked in shock.

"With some metal inside, I can control them magnetically," Mikoto explained smugly.

"You just keep getting more annoying," Shizuri said as she fired her maximum number of beams, four, to corner and destroy the doll.

"If it were only one doll, you'd have no problem shooting it down, right?" Mikoto suggested, "But what if it was not just one doll?"

From the corridor behind her, dozens of bomb-loaded dolls floated into the room and around Mikoto. Shizuri tried to attack Mikoto herself, but the younger girl dodged and took to the walls. Running along the perimeter of the circular room, Mikoto directed all of her dolls to swarm at Shizuri. As far as Mikoto could tell, the older girl was incapable of creating a curtain of fire with her ability and could only create a small number of beams at one time. If she could, she would had done so earlier in the last room instead of using pinpoint accurate strikes.

Under normal circumstances, this was true. Shizuri couldn't use her ability to create a curtain of fire. However, she could still create a curtain of fire with a little boost to her ability. Shizuri pulled out a small back card and threw it in front of her. She then fired a blast right at the card. In an instant, the card broke apart into shards and the single beam divided into dozens of individual smaller beams. These smaller beams tore through the wall of swarming dolls easily, destroying a great number of them and pushing Mikoto back to ground level.

"Silicon burn," Shizuri explained, holding up another card, "I'm not afraid to sure up my weaknesses with props if it's necessary. This is why you show respect to ITEM, you brat!"

Not about to give up, Mikoto sent even more dolls at the leader of ITEM, just like before, Shizuri tossed a silicon card in front of her and used it to destroy a large number of dolls.

"Frenda's mistake has made my job harder, but I think I can handle a little middle school girl, thank you. Honestly, third ranked my ass," Shizuri mused as she continued to destroy the dolls, "Why did you earn that title? Because the research applications of your ability are so profitable? And here I am ranked fourth! All I have to do is wipe the floor with you and prove that you don't deserve the rank you've been given!"

Soon enough, only three dolls remained. Shizuri managed to destroy two of them before Mikoto retrieved the third one and returned it to her side.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't have any more tricks up your sleeve. This was just starting to get interesting," Shizuri taunted.

Taking a deep breath, Mikoto charged in for what appeared to be a suicide attack. Even more surprising was that she detonated her last bomb prematurely, not even remotely close enough to catch Shizuri in the explosion. However, it was quickly revealed that using that bomb was never the intention. It merely served as a smokescreen for another bomb that she had on reserve. By the time Shizuri knew about it, it was too close for her to defend against. Unfortunately for Mikoto, she still needed to ignite the bomb a shock, something Shizuri easily manipulated and redirected, rendering the bomb useless as it followed the shock to the side.

"Did you forget? I can easily redirect those shocks you rely on so heavily," Shizuri gloated, "You didn't actually think you had actually won, now did you? This fight was finished almost as soon as it began, Railgu-"

Suddenly, Shizuri felt a blunt, metal force hit her in the side of the head. It was the doll that she had just redirected. From there, everything went black.

* * *

"Congratulations on reaching Level 3, sis!" Touma cheered as he presented his sister with his homemade cake.

"Thank you," Shizuri replied with a giggle, taking the cake off of Touma's hands.

Helping herself to a slice, Shizuri could hardly believe how good the cake tasted. Touma had only started cooked recently, yet his progress was phenomenal. If it weren't for his right hand, she would have said his real Esper ability was making food taste better.

"This is delicious," Shizuri complimented, "If you put as much effort into developing your Esper ability as you did your cooking ability, I'm sure you would be a powerful Esper."

"You know I don't really care about that," Touma pouted, "Besides, I think you'll be the one that becomes super strong. You'll probably become one of those theorized Level 5s!"

"You really think so?" Shizuri asked with a giggle.

"Yeah! You're the strongest there is!" Touma cheered with wide eyes.

"In that case, I guess I'll just have to become the best I can be," Shizuri replied, humoring her brother.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

When Shizuri came to, she knew she had to get up and get that girl. She couldn't lose here, not to her. She had her pride to think about. Her pride as a Level 5, one of the strongest in the city. Her pride as the leader of ITEM, one of the most feared groups within Academy City's underworld. And most importantly to her, her pride as an older sister. She may have left her brother alone a decade ago, but that didn't mean she didn't care. She promised him she would become the strongest there is, to meet his expectations.

She knew Touma would have never approved of the life she led now. A life in the shadows, constantly hurting and taking from others. The life of someone who got a sick sense of enjoyment from causing so much pain and death. That's why she needed to become strong. To become the strongest. To become the strongest like he thought she would. That way, if she ever got to see him again, if he ever learned of all the people she's hurt and the lives she's taken, she could at least rest easy knowing he had at least one thing to be proud of her for. At least, even with all the things she had done that he would disgust her for, he had at least one reason to be proud to call her his sister.

Picking herself off the ground, Shizuri hobbled over to the door to the facility's central hub. Holding closed the head injury she got thanks to the metal filled doll, she waited for the Railgun to return, hiding behind the edge of the door. She probably destroyed the central hub by now, but that didn't matter to Shizuri. All that mattered was getting that girl. Soon enough, the Railgun returned and Shizuri made her move.

As Mikoto inspected the bloodstain Shizuri left on the ground, Shizuri took the opportunity to get close and fired four beams at her at pointblank range. The Railgun managed to dodge all the beams, but that didn't stop Meltdowner from kicking her opponent in the gut and across the floor.

"Hey now, this is no time to lie down. We've still go some unfinished business," Shizuri said menacingly, clutching her fist, "I'm gonna pay you back for this, a trillion times over!"

Mikoto simply lied on the ground, clutching her aching stomach.

"Oh, what's wrong? Your tummy hurt? Just get up already, unless you want to be turned to charcoal where you lie!"

Shizuri fired another full set of beams straight at the disabled Mikoto. Thankfully for the younger girl, she was able to cartwheel away at he last second, having nothing in her stomach for the last few days. Shizuri didn't stop, continuously firing beam after beam at the weakened Level 5. Despite her weakened state, Mikoto used her magnetism to evade the blasts, eventually pulling herself towards and through an exist. Shizuri followed in suit, walking calmly down the halls of the facility while laughing manically. The entire time, she continued to fire beams of condensed electrons, caring little for the collateral damage she was creating. All that mattered was beating the girl running away from her.

This continued until the two Level 5s blasted their way into a large chamber and dropped on to a catwalk hanging over a several-story-tall drop. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, Mikoto found herself face to face with Shizuri as she dropped right in front of her. The older Level 5 kicked the middle school girl down the catwalk before firing a continuous stream of condensed electrons at her. Mikoto managed to block both attacks, the former with her forearms and the later with her ability. However, she struggled to hold back the blast given her weakened state.

"You just block and block and block, huh? You're never gonna beat me by playing defense! Do you think this kid of child's play will get you anywhere against the underworld of Academy City?!" Shizuri yelled as she attacked, "Come on, at least make this entertaining for me! You're going to die, no doubt about it, but wouldn't you rather go out with a bang!"

Eventually, Shizuri's attack broke through the Railgun's defenses, leaving Mikoto collapsed on the floor of the catwalk. Seeing the state she was in, Shizuri couldn't help but almost feel sorry for the girl. Almost. Her sadistic side didn't exactly leave a lot of room for mercy or sympathy.

"I get that you're desperate, but really, choosing this place to run to? You practically begging to die," Shizuri taunted as she approached the fallen girl, "The third ranked Level 5? More like a wet behind the ears little girl. Come on, now, I'm giving you one final chance to fight back. Why don't you use that railgun you're so famous for? This is the perfect opportunity!"

However, Shizuri never got the answer she was expecting. Instead, Mikoto started to laugh, almost as if she had lost it. It was actually a little concerning.

"Hey now, it's no fun if you go crazy before I get to torture you," Shizuri complained.

"My railgun? I don't even have enough power to avoid one of your blasts after all of this, let alone use my railgun. That's why I gambled on coming this way, you see," Mikoto admitted, "You know that blond pal of yours? She really gave me a hard time. Blowing me away, duping me, kicking me, and of course, nearly plunging me to my death by knocking out the floor. See, that got me thinking, she was extremely thorough, setting up traps throughout the entire facility. So, I figured it was likely that she set up traps in the area."

Looking around, Shizuri could see that Mikoto was telling the truth. The entire catwalk was coated in explosive tape. It was stupid how much tape Frenda had applied.

"Even as weak as I am, I still have enough power to lite this," Mikoto declared triumphantly, "Not bad of a wet behind the ears little girl, huh?"

"Frenda!" Shizuri cried in outrage.

A single spark from Mikoto, and the entire catwalk was torn to pieces by the explosive tape. Mikoto was easily able to catch herself, using her magnetism to grab on to the remaining pieces of the catwalk. Shizuri, on the other hand, continued to fall, unable to grab the remains of the platform. Mikoto offered her a cord to save her, but Shizuri wasn't about to accept help from her target. Instead, she fired her blasts downward, generating enough upward force to slow her down to a safe speed. She slowed down enough to survive, but her landing needed some work.

Once on the ground, she attempted to continue fight, demanding that the Railgun come down and face her like a Level 5. However, the target got away, leaving Shizuri to have to track her down another day. However, something about the situation caught her interest. The Railgun went to Tokiwodai, so what could she possibly want with the facility? Shizuri needed answers, and she was going to get them whether her employers wanted to give them to her or not.

Returning up to the upper levels of the facility, Shizuri located a squeamish looking researcher and pulled him aside for a talk. And by 'talk', she threated his life for the information on the project Mikoto was interested in.

"There's no way I can do that!" the researcher insisted, "I can't leak information like that! They'd have me elimina-"

"I can turn you into a pile of dismembered flesh, right here and now," Shizuri threatened, grabbing the poor researcher's face, "Or, you can take your chances living on the run from your former employers. Which will it be?"

After a light beating, the researcher reluctantly handed over the information on Project Level 6 Shift. Seeing the information for herself, Shizuri couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was all too ridiculous to believe.

"You can't be serious! This is what they've got the first ranked Level 5 doing?" Shizuri laughed, "Trying to level up by exterminated 20,000 cockroaches? What can the Academy City Governor's Board be thinking?"

However, upon inspecting the file closer, she noticed some rather intriguing information about the project.

"Oh. So that's it, huh? And then as for those of use in ITEM," Shizuri mused, "This should be very interesting. I think I'd like to see how this all plays out. Why kill someone when you can watch them suffer, right?"

* * *

 **And that's the chapter. Like I said, not too much is different. A few references here, some changed dialogue there, a sprinkle of a dream induced flashback there, and a bit more character exploration here. Not a lot new, but what is new helps to set up the future. Hopefully, the future is filled with much more changes. I actually have a lot planned that might interest a lot of you, many of these changes having long term effects.**

 **For now, that's all. See you all next chapter. Leave a review if you like!**


	32. Promises

**Here we are again. This chapter, things are about to shake up a bit more than usual. Nothing earthshattering, but I think the changes here and going to be quiet interesting. Plus, if you keep an eye out, you might see the seeds for an idea I've been toying with for a while now hidden in the chapter. Can you find them?**

 **Also, as you can see, Accelerator and Shizuri are now counted as main characters in the description. Hopeful, I can really flesh them out, create interesting dynamics with them, and really make it feel like those roles are earned.**

 **For now, let's get some Q &A done.**

 **ahsoei: Nah, Touma's still the one getting involved. Just like in canon, Shizuri is just going to be watching from the distance. I don't remember it ever being mentioned, but I'm assuming she was just watching the reports on the experiments to see how Mikoto struggles to deal with them.**

 **Bluejack222: Thanks. Good luck with your own projects.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Well, that's kind of how the id works. I stays buried under our conscious and subconscious until something gives it a chance to be let out. Can you tell I'm a strong believer of Freudian thought? Like, it's part of the reason I gave Touma a missing older sister, to fall in line with and explain his taste in girls, just in case that wasn't clear. Thanks for being so understanding about my circumstances.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Rest in peace, two years worth of school work and fanfiction, some of which that will never see the light of day. Yeah, Frenda's big sister comment was originally the only real addition planned, given how she is a big sister too, but I took the flashback from the chapter before and expanded on it, just to make the story feel more interconnected. It's really less of changing her character and expanding on it with new motivations. I like to think I did so pretty seamlessly. Then again, it's not very hard to do when the character your working with has nearly zero backstory to begin with.**

 **icedshadows: Eh, that's debatable.**

 **RedSS: Oh, so the sin was for the method of providing the background. So does that make providing background a win? I think that makes it a win.**

 **Guest 0 (Guest): Trust me, you're not the only one. Cleaver Guest name.**

 **Guest (1+2): Huh, I never knew there was so much nuance behind the Parameter List. Guess that explains why the insane/quirky are the only ones that can reach Level 5, they're so open with their inner nature that they have no mental blocks. Provides a lot of evidence of Pierce Aogami to be the Number 6, huh, given that he's so open about being a pervert. Man, you wrote a lot. If it weren't for the fact you wrote the two reviews right next to each other, I might not have figured out you were the same reader.**

 **Generation Zero: Glad you liked my take on their characterization. Who knows, I might have the two of them fight again at a later time. You never know. Well, to be fair, Touma's always been more involved in the Magic Side of things anyway. His Judgement status kind of just balances that.**

 **The Coke-aholic: Yeah, Freudian though is a pretty funny thing. Well, she's mostly going to watch through reports on how the experiment progresses. She's interesting in seeing Mikoto struggle to stop them, not so much in how the fights go.**

 **SoulReaver267: Thanks, the dream is my favorite addition last chapter. Your sympathies for my flash drive are appreciated.**

 **mohamadstar94: Thanks.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Yeah, probably should have had like 4 back-up. Thanks for the tip.**

 **RPGPersona: I think the changes I did make were well executed, so thank you. I think the pills in the anime were to avoid the more dangerous stigma relating to drugs like Crack in a wider reaching medium like anime. Pills are more associated medication than common street drugs, so the anime opted to use them instead. Then again, given that ITEM is a underground organization, it would have made more sense thematically as a powder. You never forget your family. Remember, Shizuri's whole motivation is to protect Touma. She knows he would hate the darkness she lives in, so she show she at least one light for him, even if it is tainted with the blood of those she killed using that strength. That watch them suffer line was in the dub. I always interpreted it as her keeping an eye on project and watching as Mikoto struggles to stop it.**

 **Guest (3): No, she's just keeping tabs on the project to see Mikoto struggle to stop it. She's not really interested in the fights themselves.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: Didn't have to wait long.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 32: Promises

After his encounter with the mysterious and rather violent Nunotaba, Touma had some difficulty falling asleep. He just couldn't get his mind off of all the weird things she said the other night. Clearly, something was wrong with Mikoto, her recent behavior was proof enough. Yet, according to Nunotaba, there was nothing he could do to help here, neither as a Judgement officer nor her friend. Was the problem so out of reach that even a connection to higher ups in the Disciplinary Committee couldn't do anything about it? The only problems that big were ones orchestrated by Academy City's board of directors. Mikoto may be a Level 5, but surely she couldn't have done something to upset the leading political leaders of the city, right?

Thankfully, Touma wasn't so worked up from his confusion that he couldn't get to sleep. If anything, all the stress made him so much more tired before bed that he fell asleep faster than normal. Getting out of bed, he quickly glanced at the four leafed clover he picked the other day and left on his short table. Based on what he read in his journal, his father had been giving him good luck charms ever since his bad luck started to become prevalent, getting a handful of them every time he came back from a business trip. None of them worked, though the current knowledge of Imagine Breaker gives some sort of rational as to why. Now that he was aware of his ability, Touma elected to store the clover in a small plastic bag. Even if Imagine Breaker negated the ambient luck the clover supposedly provided, it wouldn't hurt to keep it handy. With everything happening with Mikoto, he certainly needed all the luck he could get.

Ignoring the clover for the time being, Touma went about his normal morning routine. He cleaned up, changed his clothes, and prepared a simple breakfast for himself. While he did have a remedial class that day, it wasn't supposed to start until later in the day. For now, he could take the morning easy before going to class. In the middle of his meal, his phone rang, drawing his attention away from his food.

"You've reached Kamijou," Touma greeted, not bothering to check the caller ID.

" _Hey, Kamijou, it's Shirai_ ," Kuroko said on the other line, " _Everyone is planning on meeting up at the usual café this morning. Care to join us?_ "

"I have a bit of time before my remedial class," Touma admitted, "Sure. I'll be there in a little bit."

" _See you then!_ "

Hanging up, Touma couldn't help but notice how peppy Kuroko was on the phone. After everything that was happening with Mikoto recently, he expected her to sound even a little more resigned. Had everything with Mikoto been resolved already? Sounded too good to be true. Deciding not to dwell on it too much, Touma quickly finished the rest of his modest breakfast. After cleaning up after himself, he gathered his things and headed out.

* * *

"So that's it?" Uiharu asked, "She's back to normal, just like that?"

Kuroko, Uihaur, Saten, and Index were all seated at their one of their usual cafés. Kuroko had some hot tea, Saten had some iced tea, and Uiharu and Index each had a sundae, the later of which was about ten times the size of the former. They were simply enjoying a relaxing morning in Academy City, with Kuroko using the gathering as an opportunity to share some good news. Apparently, Mikoto had gotten over whatever problem she was facing and was back to normal.

"That's right, and just when I was ready to leave her alone and wait for her to consult with me," Kuroko confirmed, "There's no reason for Sissy to know how worried I've been. That would just make her worry instead. I just hope that's the last we have to worry about something like that."

"Hang on, let's recap," Saten suggested, "She went out last night without eating, she didn't tell any of us where she was going or what she was doing, not to mention Kamijou's similarly distant but not as extreme behavior lately… It fits. I'm absolutely sure about it now. Those two have an unspoken thing going on."

Kuroko suddenly froze up, unable to accept such a scenario without herself included in some way. Uiharu gasped in shock, letting her imagination run wild with the thought of her two dear friends being a secret couple. Index was too engrossed in her sundae to pay too much attention to the topic at hand.

"W-wow!" Uiharu stuttered, blushing.

"Absolutely not! I spoke with Kamijou himself, there is nothing between them!" Kuroko denied.

"That's why they've been acting so strangely, because…" Uiharu deduced.

"That's right, because they're having secret assignations," Saten concluded.

"It all makes sense now! Why she was sneaking around! Why she couldn't turn to any of us for advice! Why she kept it all a complete secret! Why he's been so quiet and distant about everything!" Uiharu continued.

"I know," Saten agreed.

"Looking back, Kamijou is a pretty good catch if you look below the surface," Uiharu added, "He's always racing to the rescue alike a knight in shining armor, and his looks aren't half bad, either."

"True, but there more to him than just that," Saten continued, "Despite what his grades say, he can be pretty intelligent, plus he's pretty interesting when it comes to his interests. Not to mention the fact his perfect househusband material."

"Wait, she stays out all night and doesn't come back until morning," Uiharu realized, "You don't think those two are doing this and that, do you?"

At that point, Kuroko had completely lost it. Her thoughts were so focused on the evidence pointing towards Touma and Mikoto doing the act behind their backs that she could barely function properly. She ended up dumping so many sugar lumps into her tea that it couldn't dissolve completely because of her lack of focus.

"Aren't you all forgetting something?" Index interrupted, for once not entirely focused on the food in front of her.

"What do you mean?" Saten asked, confused.

"Touma's been loaded with remedial classes lately," Index clarified, "With all the work he's had in conjunction with Judgement, he couldn't possibly have time for a relationship, especially not enough to nurture it to something as advanced as tier fifteen."

"Huh, guess we forgot about that," Saten laughed.

"Y-yeah," Kuroko agreed, "I mean, the likelihood of those to spending time together without things spiraling out of control are like a million to one."

"Though, you have to wonder what the two of them are up to now," Uiharu noted.

* * *

A few blocks away, Touma was passing though a very familiar park on his way to meet his friends at their usual café. While passing though, he crossed paths with a certain broken vending machine, as well as it most regular and violent customer. This person wore a Tokiwodai uniform and appeared to be preparing a roundhouse kick, something that only confirmed her identity for him.

"Zapper, is that you?" Touma asked, stopping in his tracks just before reaching said machine.

The middle school girl standing in front of the machine suddenly stopped at the sound of Touma's voice, stopping her leg just before it impacted the faulty piece of equipment. She then swung her leg in the opposite direction, launching a ball of electricity straight at him. Reacting on instinct, Touma raised his right hand and blocked the attack, saving him from an electrically painful fate. If the girl's identity wasn't confirmed before, it certainly was now.

"Idiot! I told you to quit calling me that!" Mikoto yelled in anger.

"Good to see you too," Touma replied flatly, shacking off the slight tingling feeling in his hand, "I see you're back to your normally electric self."

"What do you mean, 'normally'?!"

"Please accept this disrespectful Kamijou's humblest apology," Touma said with a bow, his tone slightly mocking, "Seriously though, it's good to see you back to normal. You had everyone worried of a bit."

Mikoto glared at him for a moment, but eventually couldn't help herself. She let herself smirk before breaking out in a light laugh. After accomplishing what she needed to do the other night, she couldn't help but feel a bit happy. She could even let Touma's idiocy slide for the day.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Mikoto apologized, "I just had a lot going on. You don't have to worry though, everything is fine now."

"That's good to know."

"Say, I'm in a pretty good mood right now. How about I get you a drink," Mikoto offered, gesturing towards the vending machine.

"I'd rather not steal from a vending machine, especially considering my status as a member of Judgement," Touma replied wearily.

"I was going to pay for yours, idiot," Mikoto said flatly, "I can think of at least one girl who would swoon to be in your position."

"I want to argue against that, but I know your telling the truth. Regardless, I was actually planning on meeting with the others at the café before heading to my remedial class," Touma explained, "Care to join us?"

Mikoto gave the offer a bit of thought. However, before she got the chance to answer, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice called out to the middle school girl. After all, the voice was exactly the same as her own, save for her tone.

"Big sister," the voice said.

Turing towards the voice, both students were quite shocked to find a girl who looked exactly like Mikoto. They had the same facial features, the same build, even the same outfit. The only differences between them was the second girl's permanently blank expression, her goggles on the top of her head, and, to those that dared look, her lack of shorts under her skirt.

"There's another Zapper?!" Touma asked in shock.

"Our appearances are indeed similar, which makes sense as we are entirely identical on a genetic level, offers Misaka in reply," the new girl replied, completely monotone.

'A genetic level? Is she a clone? Were those rumors all true?' Touma thought to himself, 'Hang on. You can't jump to conclusions yet, Kamijou. This could just be some huge misunderstanding. Play ignorant, just like Zapper believes you to be.'

"Oh, I get it, you're twins," Touma said, pretending to know nothing, "Why didn't you mention you had a sister, Zapper?"

"I don't need to that from a guy who never bothered to mention he had an older sister," Mikoto replied coldly.

Something was definitely wrong. At the very least, Touma expected her to make a sarcastic comment about the ironic situation. The tone she used was way too harsh to be simple sarcasm. There was something else about the situation bothering her, and it had to do with this girl that looked exactly like her.

"Moments ago, I identified a power being used that was identical to Misaka's," the girl simply referring to herself as Misaka explained, "I now see the two of you in front of a broken vending machine. Big sister, I hope you were not planning on stealing from said machine using your ability."

"Actually, while your sister does steal from this machine, she usually uses roundhouse kicks to do it," Touma clarified, "She did however just try to zap me with her ability."

"Misaka does not see any residual damage to the area, nor to you, Misaka notes, analyzing the scene. How exactly is that possible? Asks Misaka skeptically."

"It's a bit of a hard to believe story," Touma admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

However, before Touma could go into further detail, Mikoto started to walk up to her apparent sister, giving of a confused aura.

"Why?" Mikoto asked in a low voice, gripping the girl's shoulder, "Of all places. What are you doing wandering around out here?"

"I am here for training," the girl replied simply.

"What are you training for?" Touma asked, keeping up his ignorant façade, "Are you training for Judgement or something?"

"Judgement?" Mikoto asked, caught off guard, "Yeah, that's it."

'That didn't sound too convincing,' Touma noted in his head.

"Come on, let's talk," Mikoto said, leading her "sister" away by the hand

"Unfortunately, Misaka has a schedule to keep," the second girl protested.

"It's okay, come with me," Mikoto insisted, "I'll see you later, Kamijou."

As the two girls walked away, Touma could only stare in shock. He and Mikoto never called each other by name, it was just part of their usual banter. Yet she just did so, completely unironically. The only times she ever did that were when something was more concerning than her need to insult him. Something was definitely wrong, and it involved this girl that claimed to be her sister. There was something off about her, especially given her constantly blank expression and her manner of speaking in the third person.

Continuing his trek to the café, Touma was surprised to see that there was already a cup of black coffee at the table where the girls were sitting. Sitting down with the rest of them, Touma gave them all a quick greeting.

"Didn't expect you girls to order for me," Touma said as he took a sip.

"We figured you would be kept up by something, so we ordered your drink ahead of time to save you time," Uiharu explained, "Luckily, Index's perfect memory helped use to get your favorite drink."

"So, what was so important that you girls wanted to meet up?" Touma asked.

"Shirai had some great news," Saten cheered, "Misaka is apparently back to normal now. Isn't that great?"

'Well, this is awkward,' Touma thought to himself, keeping a straight face.

"Yeah, awesome," Touma replied, "I actually noticed myself."

"Wait, you too were having secret assignations?!" Kuroko cried in shock.

"What? No! I just ran into her on the way here!" Touma clarified, "I asked her if she wanted to come, but she was busy. Where did that even come from?"

The girls only responded with a stiff laugh, clearly not feeling like divulging the fact that they were discussing the potential romance occurring between the Level 5 and the Level 0.

"Well, whatever," Touma dismissed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Anyway, I never got to ask this earlier since Haruee was with us, but I had a question for Index relating to the topic on clones."

"What is it, Touma?" Index inquired.

"I was wondering if there is some sort of magical equivalence to cloning, just out of curiosity," Touma admitted.

"I must admit, I'm a bit curious too," Kuroko added.

"Well, there are homunculi, magical creatures made through alchemy in an attempt to create artificial humans," Index explained, "A family in Germany has been making homunculi for generations, all of which are based on the genetic material of one of their earliest models. Their growth and development can also be accelerated to reach adulthood in very little time and can halt their growth once they reach that stage. Some homunculi are even capable of reproduction."

"Wow, that's pretty amazing," Uiharu noted.

"Maybe, but the process is not without drawbacks," Index clarified, "Homunculi tend to have shorter lifespans and they're minds can be flawed. Human thought isn't exactly the easiest thing to replicate, through either science or magic."

"Interesting," Touma mused.

'If parallels were to be drawn, I'd say Misaka's sister seemed to have a rather underdeveloped thinking process,' Touma thought to himself, 'If she were a clone and was given intelligence artificially, that might explain her inability to properly convey emotion and her strange manner of speaking. Still, I can't just jump to that conclusion with just that. Lots of people have weird quirks like that. According to my journal, Shizuri had a weird obsession with store bought salmon lunches. Surely a strange speech pattern isn't all that out of the ordinary. Besides, even if she is a clone, that doesn't make her any less human.'

Checking the time, Touma noticed how close his remedial class was getting. Quickly chugging down the last of his coffee, Touma left a few hundred Yen on the table and excused himself. For the time being, he couldn't dwell too much on the idea that Mikoto's sister was an artificial clone made by some Academy City scientists. He would keep an eye out for any other suspicious activity, but for now, he had to worry about himself and his grades. He can't help her if he's grades suffer so much that he gets expelled and kicked out of the city.

* * *

After meeting yet another one of her clones, Mikoto had learned some rather frightening news. Project Level 6 Shift was still in progress. More than that, it was operating on schedule. By the time she had learned about it, over ten thousand Sisters had been killed, more than half the total Sisters made for the purposes of the project.

It didn't make sense to her. Over the last couple of nights, she's been destroying every single facility doing work related to the project. The night before, she destroyed the second to last one and this morning she found the last facility completely shut down. The project itself should have gone bankrupt with all the damaged facilities, lost data, and understaffed workforce. What was most baffling was how the project survived. After hacking into a network through a phonebooth, Mikoto learned that one hundred eighty-three other facilities received transfers of data and equipment from the last remaining facility before it shut down, all of them being done during the time she spent attacking the second to last facility and the morning afterwards. It was ridiculous. How could a single project be so important and influential that it could get so much support in such little time?

Suddenly, it clicked.

'I'm an idiot! I can't believe I didn't see it sooner,' Mikoto thought in shock, 'Academy City is under constant satellite and camera surveillance. Nothing in the city stays hidden from the higher ups. These experiments were held over and over again, outside. If senior management of the city knew about them, and with the surveillance they definitely did, the only reason they wouldn't do something about it was if they were in on it. In other words, all of Academy City is my enemy.'

* * *

In a random alley, Accelerator stood in front of the corpse of his latest victim, Misaka 10030. She had been dead for a couple of minutes now, her blood starting to dry up on the cold concrete. Accelerator just stood there, chewing on something like it was a piece of gum. Eventually, he spit out whatever he was chewing on to the ground next to the clone's broken pair of goggles, commenting on how it lost its flavor. It was the chewed up remains of one of the clone's fingers.

Leaving the scene, he thought back to about a year ago, when he was first approached about Project Level 6 Shift. Back then, only two types of people ever approached him. First, there were the people who came to fight him, thinking they had the chance to take to title of Academy City's top dog. They were all idiots who got their hopes up too high. They saw his slim and lanky build and though he was no big deal and was easy pickings. Anyone who gave it even a little thought would know that every physical action involves vectors in some way, including all methods of attack. With his high-level ability to manipulate all manner of vectors, no attack could ever harm him and all attacks he threw or reflected proved to be dangerous.

The second type of people to approach him were people form research labs. These people knew how powerful he was and how versatile his ability could be since every physical action involves vectors. The research they could do through studying or utilizing his ability was beyond imaginable. That was something that grew to irk him almost as much as the idiots that tried to fight him.

There used to be a third type of person that approached him. He was one of a kind. He didn't care about power. He just saw Accelerator as a person, as a friend. And in turn Accelerator saw him the same way. This person had a sister that treated Accelerator in a similar manner, albeit to a lesser extent, preferring to leave the two to themselves. All that really mattered was that one person that he called his friend, the friend whose name and face he had long forgotten. The only thing he remembered was the person's spiky black hair and his right hand.

However, the person that approached him a year ago was of the second variety, the kind that came from a research lab to recruit him for Project Level 6 Shift. At first, Accelerator was dismissive of the project. He was already the strongest, so why should he bother getting stronger. However, the man attempted to coax him into participating with the promise of even more power, the kind of power that would make his normally monotonous life interesting. He would be a god among men, possessing power that was beyond anyone else's reach. That caught his attention, but not because of the power itself. If the power he obtained from participating in the experiment was beyond the reach of anyone else, that would mean no one would dare challenge him. He would be at a Level no one else could reach, stomping out anyone's foolish hopes of challenging and beating him. The constant challenges, confrontations, and pointless injuries would end. At that point, he agreed. Not even the knowledge of the illegal clones was enough to deter him at his point. It was his chance to stop the constant fighting.

Granted, stopping the fighting meant he had to fight a lot more for the time being. Twenty thousand required fights to be exact, in addition to all the challenges he normally got from complete idiots. It was about a year later, and he was only halfway there. It was starting to become a drag. Still, if he got invincibly at the end of it all, it would all be worth it. If he could stop the constant fighting, he might be able to devote some time to finding that person again.

* * *

That night, Mikoto sat on her bed, gently hugging the giant Gekota Touma won her at Phantasm Carnival a couple weeks back. The frog was where she kept all of her files on Project Level 6 Shift, hidden inside a pocket in its back. Kuroko had just gotten out of the shower and offered it to her roommate, but Mikoto didn't pay too much attention as she was too focused on trying to find a way to stop the experiments.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't find the person behind the creation of the project. With Academy City itself greenlighting it, that wouldn't do anything. All she really knew was that the city wanted to keep these experiments secret. With how twisted and illegal it was with all the cloning and killing, it was only natural. It was why news of her attacks on the facilities never reached the media. If Academy City wanted something to stay secret, it would stay secret.

It suddenly clicked. There was only one way she could think of to stop the project. It was drastic, could through the entire city into chaos, and her life would never be normal again if she did. However, Mikoto didn't care. These experiments had already gone on far too long, killing over ten thousand clones of her. Normal wasn't an option for her anymore.

"Hey, Kuroko," Mikoto called out.

"Sissy! Can I help you with something?" Kuroko replied enthusiastically.

"Supposing… just supposing I did something that brought calamity and chaos to Academy City, what would you do?" Mikoto asked.

"If you mean stealing drinks from a vending machine that you broke, I guess I would suggest you stop doing so," Kuroko replied with a bit of thought.

"That thing is fair game as far as I'm concerned! It stole money from me my first year here!" Mikoto rebuffed.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Mikoto asked her roommate the question again, this time much more clearly.

* * *

 **AN: At this point, I would suggest you start playing "Stand Still" by Yuka Iguchi. If you know your "A Certain" soundtracks, you know why I'm suggesting this. Lyrics are optional. Just no Nightcore. Seriously, Nightcore is so uninspired.**

* * *

"No, I mean, if I did something that shook the very core of Academy City," Mikoto clarified.

"I won't pretend to know why you would even ask something like that," Kuroko admitted, "but if someone threatened the safety of this city, I would not hesitate to stop them, even if that person is you, Sissy."

"Huh? Then despite all the things you said, is seems our relationship really does have its limits!" Mikoto fake cried.

"No, it doesn't at all!" Kuroko panicked, teleporting to Mikoto's side, "I know in a million years, you would never even think to do something li-"

"Ha! Got ya!" Mikoto cut her off, flicking Kuroko's forehead, "I'm just messing with you!"

"That wasn't nice, Sissy!" Kuroko whined, earning a laugh from Mikoto.

Later that night, after Kuroko went to sleep, Mikoto stayed up at her bed, gently hugging the gift Touma gave her. Quietly, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a very important number. She had a call she needed to make, and she didn't want Kuroko listening in.

* * *

Across District 7, Touma was up late at night doing his summer homework. He sat at his short table, hutched over it, completely focused on his work. However, his focus was soon interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. Picking up his phone, Touma was surprised to find that Mikoto was calling him. She never called his number, especially not at this hour.

"Hey, Zapper," Touma said tiredly, "Did you need something?"

" _Hey_ ," Mikoto greed on the other end of the line, " _I need to ask you something._ "

"Shoot."

" _If I were to do something that brought calamity and chaos to Academy City, shaking it to its very core, what would you do?_ " Mikoto asked seriously.

"Is that even a question? The answer is obvious," Touma answered simply, "I would help you."

" _Huh?_ " Mikoto asked, clearly confused, " _I don't get it. Why?_ "

"Because I know you," Touma replied, "You would never do something like that. You may attack me on a daily basis, but you don't do it just for the sake of doing it. If you were planning on doing something that brought harm to this city and its people, then that just means this city did something to hurt you. I wouldn't help you destroy the city in revenge or something like that. I would help you find another solution. I told you before, my goal is to make sure everyone in a bad situation gets out of it with a smile on their face. If the city has done something to you, if the city has caused you pain, I'll do what ever I can to help you heal. If you ever feel like your backed into a corner and have no other option left, I promise you, I'll shatter that unfair illusion."

After a moment of silence, Mikoto could be heard giggling on the other side of the line, much to Touma's confusion.

'Did I say something wrong?' Touma thought to himself.

" _You're an idiot, you know that?_ " Mikoto finally replied, " _Always going to such extreme lengths to help someone, making promises you might not be able to keep, making long speeches about shattering people's illusions. It's all so stupid._ "

"I like to think it's part of my personal charm," Touma defended, feeling a bit insulted.

" _Don't worry, it is_ ," Mikoto said reassuringly, " _Thanks. I needed that._ "

"Happy to help," Touma replied with a smile.

" _I'll see you tomorrow_ ," Mikoto said, " _Goodnight, Kamijou._ "

"Goodnight," Touma said as Mikoto hung up.

Putting the phone down, Touma stared at it for a moment, contemplating what Mikoto had just said. He then leaned back on to his bed, staring at the ceiling in confusion.

"Misaka, what are you up to?" he asked aimlessly.

* * *

Closing her phone, Mikoto couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. Touma Kamijou is a real idiot, but not one without his charms.

'If I do this, and Kuroko is the one who catches me, that wouldn't be so bad,' Mikoto thought to herself, 'that guy said he would do whatever it took to help, but I'll make sure he doesn't have to. He's done more than enough for me and everyone else already. I promise you, you don't have to get involved this time, Kamijou.'

* * *

 **So, did that last bit get you all feelsy? I know I did writing it. Did the layered on song help? It's honestly one of my favorites from the anime, essentially being Touma and Mikoto's image song. Funny story, while writing that bit, I was actually listening to my "Toaru" playlist on shuffle, and the first song to show up was "Stand Still". Immediately afterwards was "Zero Kara no Gyakushuu" (Touma's character song) and "Watashi Rashiku Aru Tame no pledge" (Mikoto's character song), in that order. Fate, maybe?**

 **Did you see the Easter egg and guess what my future idea is? Tell me in the review and what you liked about the chapter. If anyone can guess correctly, I'll reveal it to everyone in the next chapter. See you then!**

 **P.S. : Billy, what are you doing! Why are you reading fanfiction?! You know you should be doing your summer homework!**


	33. Sisters' Night Out

**And I'm back! Time for a new chapter, and this is where the secrets really start to unravel. Quick reminder, the chapters for the Sisters Arc are primarily based on how events turned out in Railgun S, mainly because they give the most in-depth look at the arc. I'm still watching both versions of the arc to get a full understanding of what I'm working with. Let me tell you, the difference in perspective between the two versions of the arc become really apparent when you watch the two of them side-by-side. It is especially true in the case of Mikoto, who is depicted as a standard, snooty, rich, high-class girl in Index during the early parts of the arc, but is seen as an emotional Tsundere leaning on the dere side in Railgun. Like, the differences are really glaring, especially with the scene in the park and vending machine.**

 **I'm a bit disappointed that not many of you took my suggestion of adding a song to the background as you read the last scene, but whatever.**

 **Congratulations to Generation Zero for correctly guessing the secret of my Easter Egg. A lot of you managed to guess that the Easter Egg was a Fate reference, but only Generation Zero got the full scope of what I had planned. Admittedly, ArmoredCoreNineBall was the only other person to know, as I have been conversing with him regularly and passed the idea by him. Anyway, since Generation Zero guessed correctly, I will now reveal what exactly I had planned with that Easter Egg.**

 **Now, this plan is still in on the drawing board, but I have a basic concept planned out so far. The idea is to create a spin-off for this story in the form of a Toaru/Fate crossover. This particular crossover would take place some time after the Three Stories Arc at the very least and follows the end of the UBW True Ending. After some time at the Clocktower, Lord El-Melloi II and Rin return to Fuyuki to dismantle the corrupted Holy Grail. However, upon reaching it, the find out it had been stolen by a rouge Magic Side Faction (the details of this have not been fully decided) and modified to produce a Great Holy Grail War, much like in Apocrypha. This rouge group then challenges both the Mage's Association and the Holy Church to fight them for the stolen Grail, which has been moved to Academy City. The Association sends in form Grail War Survivors like El-Melloi, Rin, and Shirou, while the Holy Church sends in Necessarious members Kaori, Stiyl, and Tsuchimikado to act as Masters. Shirou gets Avalon removed and summons Altria(yes, I use the newer translation, deal with it) as Saber, Rin summons a future version of Shirou as Archer, using Shirou himself as a catalyst, El-Melloi summons Iskandar as Rider (potentially as Alexander), Kaori summons Nightingale as Berserker because you need a healer on the team, Stiyl summons Cu Cuchulain as Caster because giant fire monsters, and Tsuchimikado summons Kiritsugu as Assassin because family drama. In addition, Mikoto gets dragged into the war as the Master of Lancer and summons a mysterious Servant covered in high-tech white and blue armor (think of a cross between and Iron Man Suit and a Second Generation Tron Light Suit) and wields a morphing spear made from nano-machines. This crossover would be the kick-off to a potential MCU(Multi-Crossover Universe)(lame pun, I know), where I connect several magical/sci-fi universes in a single, connected universe. Still in the works right now, but it might just become real if I can iron all the details out.**

 **For now, let's focus on the Sisters Arc and get some Q &A done.**

 **general ironox: You guessed right!**

 **Agent Nine: Yup! I love me some good references.**

 **Kim454: I do love a good poetic battle. I'll see what I can do.**

 **ahsoei: Congrats on guessing right. Already have most of the arc planned out, so I'm not sure if I can fit that in. Sorry.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Thanks for not ratting it out to everyone. How ironic is it that the next person to review guesses the whole picture? I'm glad you liked all the little changes I made to the original events. For Angel Fall, the current plan is to have Shizuri and Touma reunite before then, and then have the whole Kamijou family reunite during the trip. Of course, this leads to some crazy appearance swap antics during the arc with everyone but the men of the family changing appearances, Touma video calling in to check on the girls and tell them what's happening, and Shizuri potentially learning about the existence of magic.**

 **Generation Zero: Congratulations, you got closer to the big picture of the Easter Egg than anyone else. I'm glad you liked all the little character interactions and expansion on Accelerator's motives and backstory.**

 **icedshadows: To be fair, he's always been good at heart. He just doesn't know how to resolve any conflict with anything other than violence. He doesn't like hurting people, but by the time we see him in canon, he's too far gone and doesn't know anything else.**

 **Guest (1): Hey, not all my references are hints towards crossovers. Though, one has to wonder what tiers 3-14 are when not related to Rainicorns.**

 **guest (Guest): Sorry, there's this thing called continuity that I'd like to keep, so doing something like changing a previously introduced characters name and gender for no apparent reason is a big no-no. Sorry if you find this bland, but most of the meat is in the humanizing interactions and relationships, not in over-the-top shock revelation value. Plus, I'm not the biggest fan of genderbending done without a purpose. I'm a fan of cases like Altria of the Nasuverse since her genderbend has a purpose storywise. Random genderbending for things other than a one-time gag are less forgivable for me.**

 **RedSS: Come on, now your just being petty! Why am I getting a Sin for figures of speech?**

 **fencer29: To be fair, Kuroko was slowly losing it. Also, Index has photographic memory. To my understanding, people with photographic memory remember everything, even the stuff they aren't paying particular attention to. Just because Touma is doing his Summer homework now doesn't mean he'll finish it before the Three Stories Arc, trust me, I know.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: Nice to hear someone took my suggestion. No, the others will still be uninvolved in the final confrontation. The Sisters Arc is Touma and Mikoto's arc. They are center stage and it acts as a huge turning point in their relationship.**

 **RPGPersona: Yeah, I probably should have brought up the point of Touma not believing in pedestals. I guess I didn't think much of it since he treats everyone like that since he doesn't care for power. Glad to know you liked all the earlier deviations finally catching up. If I can iron out all the details, that little Easter Egg might hatch into a whole expanded, interconnected universe. Did I really drop subtlety with Accelerator's backstory? I thought I depicted the hurting people as being a nuisance rather than something he hated about his power.**

 **Guest (2): Sorry, out of everyone who guessed, you were the only one off the mark. Estella and her family practice Necromancy and aim to create the perfect Golem. Totally different concept from homunculi. If I can catch up on Accelerator and line-up the timelines, then I might add it in.**

 **And that's all the Q &A. Okay, you know the drill.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 33: Sisters' Night Out

The next morning, Mikoto woke up completely rested. It was the first proper night of rest she had gotten in a while. Good thing too, since she planned on doing something so incredibly extreme and taxing that it would require all of her strength. She couldn't even afford to use any of it to punish Kuroko for jumping her as soon as she woke up. Besides, she could let it slide for today. After all, it might be the last time it ever happened. Like Kuroko said, if someone did something to put the city in danger, she wouldn't hesitate to do something to stop them, even if that person was Mikoto. Considering it was Academy City's greatest advancement in computer engineering and everything relied on it in some way, destroy the orbiting super computer Tree Diagram seemed like a serious enough crime to warrant arrest.

Despite being well rested, her mind wasn't exactly at ease. In addition to her personal conflict with her plans, there was also the issue of the dream she had last night. It was a memory of her life as a child, living with her mother before coming to Academy City. It reminded her how much simpler life was back then, having her mother fix every single tiny problem overnight. All the dream really served to do was remind her of how harsh reality really was. Her mother wasn't there to fix everything for her. Santa Claus wasn't going to make a house call to stop the experiments. No hero was going to rush in to save the day.

That last point was something she was determined to prove to be true. She wasn't going to let Touma get involved, especially when his missing friend Yuri was at the center of it all, causing the deaths of over ten thousand Sisters. Even if he did get involved, there was nothing he could do. The experiments weren't some illusion he could destroy with his right hand, they were all real. Mikoto didn't need a hero, she didn't want one. This was her mess, so she was going to clean it up herself. Determined to get the job done, Mikoto left her dorm to prepare.

* * *

After another day of remedial class, Touma started making his way to a used book store he frequented. Not long after his class was finished, he got a call from Saten, asking him to pick up a book on raising a cat for Index. Apparently, Sphinx was having issues and neither Index nor herself knew how to deal with it. They tried using the internet to find an answer, but with Index's ineptitude with technology, she wouldn't be able to find answers without Saten's help if something else went wrong. Touma could only bemoan his rotten luck at the need to take a detour, but he really couldn't do anything about and agreed to help.

On his way to the book store, he passed by a hillside overhang, the same one that collapsed earlier that month during the Poltergeist Case. Really, it was a miracle they repaired it so quickly. As he walked by, Touma noticed the familiar form of Mikoto Misaka leaning on the safety railing, looking over a view of Academy City. Seeing as he was in no particular rush and was a bit concerned after their conversation over the phone last night, Touma decided to take another quick detour to check on her.

"Hey," Touma greeted as he approached, "Taking in the view?"

"Oh, hi," Mikoto greeted back half-heartedly, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"It's quite the sight, isn't it? Academy City at sunset," Touma noted, joining Mikoto by the railing, "Almost like something from a romance manga or something."

"You read those?" Mikoto asked, slightly amused.

"Forced upon me by Aogami," Touma rebutted.

"Well, I guess the view is nice. Though, I could do without those blimps," Mikoto admitted, glaring at the weather forecasting blimp in the skies above, "I really can't stand them."

"Why's that?" Touma inquired.

"They're nothing but machine," Mikoto replied coldly, "programmed to control us."

'She didn't think so lowly of them when she used on to celebrate Dr. Kiyama's birthday,' Touma thought to himself.

Without saying another word, Mikoto walked away, ignoring Touma's protests. At this point, Touma was left completely dumbfound. He didn't say anything wrong, did he? He didn't pry into her personal matters or force her to say anything. All he was trying to do was make conversation. Dejectedly, Touma left the overhang as well, continuing his trip to the bookstore. However, he was surprised to find another girl in the image of Mikoto Misaka kneeling in front of an abandoned black cat, trying to feed it. For a moment, Touma thought he was seeing double. However, a closer look brought a pair of goggles sitting next to the girl on the ground. It was Mikoto's "sister".

With everything that has been happening, Touma was tempted to believe that this person was a clone. He hears rumors of a cloning project linked to Mikoto, she starts acting suspicious, and then suddenly this twin he's never heard about comes out of nowhere? It all seemed to suspect to just be a string of coincidences. Still, as a member of Judgement, he couldn't just jump to an outlandish conclusion just because of a few coincidences without any solid proof and proper investigation. If he wanted to find the truth about this girl, he had to do it right. Besides, even if she was a clone, she is still human. He might as well treat her as such.

"Hey, you're Misaka's sister, right?" Touma greeted, "For a moment, I thought you were your sister. Without the goggles, there's no way to tell the two of you apart. Are you trying to feed the cat?"

"Yes, you are correct, Misaka tells the boy," the girl said as she put her goggles back on her head, "I removed the goggles in order to feed the cat, and previous experiences tell me that they are bothered by reflective surfaces, like lenses, Misaka explains her wardrobe change."

"Yeah, cats are like that," Touma agreed, "So, why put them back on then?"

"Because it was no longer necessary to keep them off. See? Asks Misaka patiently," the girl said in a monotone voice that still managed to come off as impatient.

"So you fed him?" Touma deduced.

"No, I have not," the girl replied after a small pause, much to Touma's confusion.

"If so, why put the goggles back on?" Touma asked, confused by this contradictory logic.

The girl just stared at him, as if refusing the answer out of embarrassment or annoyance. Probably both if she really was Mikoto's sister.

"Well?" Touma asked again, still expecting an answer.

"The reason for that is unimportant, Misaka explains, refusing to answer."

Seeing this girl act all embarrassed and stubborn, Touma couldn't help but chuckle and how similar she was to Mikoto in personality in addition to her appearance. It was actually kind of cute.

"Really? Because based on your reaction, you either don't want anyone to see your sweet side, or you have something physically keeping you from feeding him despite your wishes," Touma deduced, "So, am I right?"

"Misaka will neither confirm nor deny such claim, says Misaka, refusing to answer, making herself clear."

'And the stubbornness cross out of cute and back to annoying,' Touma lamented in his head.

"Fine, don't tell me," Touma sighed, taking his leave, "See you around, I guess."

"Hang on a moment, Misaka says, instructing you to stop walking."

"Okay, what's the deal now?" Touma demanded, starting to get really annoyed.

"You were going to leave. You were going to abandon this creature. Walking away from a helpless hungry cat. How can you bring yourself to do something so cruel? Well? Misaka asks sternly."

"What's with you? I'm not abandoning him, you've got food!" Touma pointed out.

"While it is true that Misaka has food, she is completely incapable of feeding the cat, Misaka says, finally relenting," the girl explained, "Misaka has a critical defect that prevents her from interacting with the cat, Misaka explains further."

"Come on, I'm sure this 'defect' can't be that bad," Touma said dismissively.

"The description is appropriate. It is Misaka's body," the girl explained, "It constantly emits a weak electric field, Misaka says, explaining her defect. It is not strong enough for people to detect, but animals are highly sensitive to it."

To demonstrate, she brought her finger closer to the cat, causing it to flinch slightly.

"You know, now that you mention it, I think your sister might have told me that before?" Touma mused.

"If that is true, than you should be well aware of how animals find being around people like Misaka and big sister to be difficult, Misaka concludes."

"If you want to feed the cat so badly, just give the food to me," Touma reasoned, "I don't mind feeding it."

"Do you not wish to take the cat in and give him a home? Misaka inquires," the girl said, standing up to face the boy, "Are you not a member of Judgement? Is it not your duty to help those in need?"

"Whoa, hang on! How did you know I was in Judgement?" Touma asked in shock, "I barely talked to you yesterday and never even mentioned it. We haven't even exchanged names!"

"Elementary, dear Kamijou, says Misaka, referencing a certain famous detective. Recent news articles mentioned a Certain Strange Addition to Judgement in possession of a prototype, multifunctional, self-recalling weapon who has been in heavily involved in several high-ranked cases. Using my ability, I read the digital data on your suspiciously high-tech wristwatch and deduced that you were that Certain Strange Addition to Judgement, as your wristwatch contains programing that allows it to interact with the weapon you have strapped to the back of your belt, says Misaka, explaining her logical deduction."

'Do I really have that big of a media presence?' Touma thought to himself.

"Ignoring the fact that that was a huge invasion of personal privacy, why don't you take him in?" Touma asked, "If you feel so bad, why would you try to pawn him off on me?"

"Unfortunately, it would not be possible for Misaka to raise a cat, Misaka answers honestly. In addition to the aforementioned critical defect, Misaka's living arrangements are not suited for pet ownership, Misaka clearly states her reasons."

Touma wanted to argue back, but the look in the girl's blank eyes told him he wasn't going to win that argument. With how stubborn this girl was in comparison to Mikoto, it was becoming even more unclear as to whether she was her twin or an artificial clone. On the bright side, he did just confirm that her living space was unusual, which could indicate that she lives in a research facility rather than a dormitory, but even that was questionable evidence.

Regardless of the state of his investigation, Touma reluctantly picked the cat out of the box and cradled it in his arm. He would have to figure something out for the little guy for the time being.

* * *

School District 23 was Academy City's dedicated space exploration district. Everything there was related to interstellar research in one way or another. There were observatories, rocket development labs, even a spacecraft launch site. However, the most important facility in the area was Tree Diagram Data Center, the city's only means of communicating with its orbiting super computer. This was Mikoto's target.

Using her power, Mikoto electrically disabled all of the security measures surrounding the facility. She then swung and ran across the walls of the buildings adjacent to the actual data center, using magnetism like a set of invisible vines to reach her destination. It was a simple plan. After breaking in, she would manipulate Tree Diagram to send an error report to the researchers of Project Level 6 Shift. It would be something simple and believable, like her and Accelerator's short battle making it impossible for Accelerator to achieve Level 6, rendering the project pointless. Of course, the researchers were not likely to just give up, and they would request Tree Diagram to do a recalculation, proving the error report to be false. However, that couldn't happen if the project had already gone into bankruptcy, or Tree Diagram itself was destroyed.

This was Mikoto's best and last bet to stop the project. Nothing was going to stop her. She wasn't about to let the project continue as it was. She would stop the project or die trying. The only thing that could stop her now was if Tree Diagram couldn't be accessed for some reason, but what where the chances of that happening.

* * *

After agreeing to at least keep an eye on the cat that Mikoto's "sister" found, Touma found himself accompanied by the girl as he continued to make his way to the book store. If Touma had to guess, she probably wanted to make sure he kept his promise to at least find the cat a suitable home and owner. As they walked through the dense city, the pair couldn't help but notice how frequently the can was meowing, as if crying out for attention.

"Why does he keep meowing like that? Asks Misaka, expressing confusion," the girl said as they walked.

"Well, he's probably upset because he's still hungry," Touma deduced.

"So, feed him again," the goggled girl declared.

"Why don't you give it a try this time?" Touma suggested.

"I told you, it is impossible for me to fe-"

"Oh come on, try," Touma insisted, holding the cat closer to the girl.

The girl simply stared blankly at the cat, making it hard to tell what exactly she was thinking. Reluctantly, she reached into her grocery bag and out a single bread crumb. She then held the bread crumb, and to her surprise, the cat ate it straight out of her hand. Even stranger to her was the cat's decision to lick her fingers clean afterwards.

"See, he's eating just fine," Touma pointed out.

"Does he appear to still be upset?" the girl asked.

"No way," Touma said reassuringly, "He seems pretty happy to me."

"Are you happy, cat?" the girl asked directly.

The cat simply meowed in response.

"Well, why don't you give him a name?" Touma asked.

"A name?" the girl replied.

"Yeah, he's your cat, right?" Touma reasoned, "You should give him a name you like."

"Very well," the girl said, taking a pause to think, "It's Dog."

"Huh?"

"Misaka has chosen a name for the black cat and that name is Dog. He is a cat called Dog," Misaka explained with a blank, lopsided smile.

"Come on, honest? Can't you think of something better than that?" Touma begged, "You know, something a bit more dignified."

"Okay. King Henry VIII, Misaka suggests with a straight face."

"Too dignified."

"Then I will call him Schrödinger."

"Quit messing around!" Touma suddenly yelled, "Thought experiment or not, the man talked about locking a cat in a box with poison and radioactive material. Obviously, not a cat lover."

"Alright, I will put it on hold for now," the girl said, leaning into the cat, "On Hold, yes?"

"Is see where this is going," Touma lamented, "Please don't name him On Hold, I'm begging you. Just don't."

'What is up with this girl's sense of humor?' Touma thought to himself as they continued to walk, "It's all about irony and literal interpretations of words with her. It's almost robotic, like her sense of humor is artificial. Even if I wanted to use this as evidence of her being an artificial clone, lots of people have weird tastes in humor. This would just be another example of that.'

"If I may ask, where are we going? This does not appear to be a route leading to any dormitories, says Misaka accurately," Misaka said as she kept pace with Touma.

"That's because I'm not heading home. Not yet, anyway," Touma explained, "There's a book I need to pick up."

"Do you wish to go to the shopping district them? Misaka asks and then points out. Geographically speaking, making a right turn at the previous intersection would be the shorter route."

"It's not that," Touma clarified, "I'm heading for a used book store just past there. A friend of mine recently adopted a cat herself, but she doesn't know much about raising one."

"Would it not be simpler for her to look up the information on the internet? Misaka points out with a hit of skceptism," the girl asked in response.

"Normally, yes. Unfortunately, my friend is even more inept at handling technology than she is at raising cats," Touma admitted, "Besides, she's good with books anyway, so this is the best solution."

"Basically, you are planning to give this friend of you're a book on raising cats so she can take care of both cats and leave you without the responsibility of caring for this one, Misaka deduced."

"No, that's not what I'm planning at all," Touma denied honestly.

Misaka simply gave him a blank stare, clearly not convinced.

"You're not angry, are you?" Touma asked, pleadingly.

"No, I am not angry. However, if something happens to the cat while he is under your watch, I will have you charged of property damage, animal abuse, and have your Judgement status revoked, says Misaka sternly," the girl threatened.

"I knew it, you are angry," Touma lamented.

"No, I am not angry," Misaka denied, clearly angry despite her usual monotone.

Soon enough, the pair found themselves in front of the used book store Touma frequents. Touma instructed Misaka to stay outside and wait while he went inside to find a suitable book. However, just before going inside, he realized that he probably shouldn't bring a cat in with him. Thus, he took the only course of action he could if he were to achieve the result he was looking for.

"Here, think fast, kitty bomb!" Touma yelled, tossing the cat to the young girl.

Her instincts overtaking her sense of reason, Misaka quickly caught the kitten, cradling it in her arms and holding it close. She didn't want to cause the kitten discomfort by being too close to him but choosing to let him hit the ground would have caused him something far worse than simple discomfort.

"Your magnetic field freaks him out, but if you can get past that barrier, that will be a sign of a real bond between you," Touma declared as he entered the store.

"Horrible boy. Does her really think he can get away with that? One does not simply use a kitten to play catch, Misaka says, talking to herself."

Looking down at her kitten, Misaka noticed how the kitten was meowing at her and pawing at her chest. She lifted the kitten up to her face and looked it in the eye, as if to have a proper conversation.

"Is that an upset meow, or a happy one? How does Misaka tell them apart?"

* * *

In a random alley in the middle of Academy City, Accelerator had found himself a bit of a nuisance. After taking the alley as a shortcut, he ran into a gang of low level Espers mugging a random student. The victim was already passed out, leaning against the wall of the alley. Apparently, the gang didn't get much of a profit from their victim's wallet, so when they saw Accelerator pass through, the decided to target him next. Big mistake.

The three gang members went down like flies. He had just driven two rods of steel through one of the thug's right hand. He was now ironically leaning against the wall of the alley right next to their previous victim. Accelerator currently had a second thug pinned against the wall underfoot, applying pressure to the poor man's chest. Using his ability, Accelerator spit in the face of Newton's Third Law of Motion and directed the force vectors that would normally be pointed into his foot, out of it, effectively doubling the amount of pressure he was stomping down with. The thug begged him to stop, but Accelerator wasn't having any of it.

"Oh, come on, you were the ones who started it in the first place," Accelerator said as he dug his foot into the thug's chest, "You don't really think you're going to get off with an apology do you?"

Thinking back, Accelerator met that boy a long time ago in a similar situation. The memory was fuzzy, but he remembered it vaguely. He was a kid, barely five years old, and was an incredibly powerful Esper for his age, a Level 3. Some other, slightly older and disgruntled kids heard about him and decided to try and gang up on him in a fight, just to prove themselves. It wasn't the first time it happened either. Kids upset with their low ability levels or slow progress often attacked him to prove that they could be stronger than a Level 3 like him without and ability. However, what many people didn't know was that he had very little control over his ability at the time. Thus, his ability defaulted to reflect all the force applied to him back to its origin, always leaving his attackers with serious recoil damage. He expected to see the same thing happen again that day, but another factor was added. That boy came into the scene.

The boy was a complete stranger at the time. He didn't know who the boy was or where he came from. Yet the boy appeared and helped him, claiming to be a friend that was searching for him. He thought it was a stupid plan, especially when the boy reached out to grab his hand. His ability would have treated the kind gesture just the same any other attack, reflecting it away and potentially breaking it. But it never happened. To Accelerator's surprise, the boy was able to grab his hand without any repercussions and led him away from his challengers.

That boy saved everyone involved that day. He made it so Accelerator didn't have to hurt anyone that day and the attackers didn't get hurt for their misguided actions. Against all odds, the boy managed to resolve the issue without pain on anyone's part, simply by using his words and his admirable acting skills. Accelerator sometimes wished he could do the same, but he knew it was impossible for him. Just like right now, his confrontation with an opposing force was meet with returning it twofold. It was met with people getting hurt.

As he continued to grind his heel into his victim's chest, to hurt him, Accelerator noticed the last remaining thug attempting to run away. Calmly and professionally, he tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe, creating a small vibration. He then amplified that vibration into a localized earthquake that tore up the asphalt, tossing the poor thug into the alley wall.

"Pathetic, I know about ten thousand girls that can take much worse than that without so much as a whimper," Accelerator mused as he approached.

"Please!" the last thug begged, backing into the wall.

"Hey, help a guy out," Accelerator said as he approached, "I got to work up an appetite for dinner somehow."

However, before he could do any real harm to the pathetic, cowering, thug, Accelerator noticed a Sister standing just outside of the alley in front of a book store across the street.

"Yeah, guess it's about that time," Accelerator sigh, leaving the alley, "Lucky you, you get to live for another day."

The last thug passed out from the stress, having just cowered for his life.

Stepping outside of the alley, Accelerator eyed the Sister across the street, waiting for her to come over for the experiment. However, he was surprised to here the same voice for about the 10031st time in the last year coming from his right.

"Thank you for waiting," the voice said, earning Accelerator's attention.

Turning to face the speaker, Accelerator saw another Sister, this one carrying a large guitar case.

"I hope I have not kept you long. I am Misaka 10031, your next opponent, Misaka reports."

Accelerator looked back and forth between the two Sisters before realizing what was happening.

"Tsk, I get it," Accelerator mused, "You guys get pretty confusing after a while."

"Should I apologize for your confusion? Asks Misaka," the clone said as she lowered her goggles.

"I don't need an apology from someone who will be dead before tomorrow," Accelerator replied, leading the Sister into the alley.

Across the street, Misaka 10032 received word of the start of the next experiment over the Misaka Network, the network of the Sister's brains, inspired by the Level Upper.

"Operation confirmed. Misakas 10031 and 10032 will proceed with the predetermined course of action," the Sister said, putting down her kitten and leaving it the resto of the food she bought for it.

* * *

Deep in the Tree Diagram Data Center, Mikoto felt like something was terribly wrong. Getting past the external security was no problem. In fact, it was even less security than she expected for such a facility. The inside was even more suspicious, with all forms of equipment being shut down. The light, the sensors, the cameras, the elevator, everything was offline. Mikoto was walking though one of Academy City's most facilities completely uninhibited, and she most definitely was not an invited guest.

When she reached the control room, she found it to be the only room in the whole facility that was still operational. However, the room itself had been completely abandoned, and based on how much dust was on the control panel, it has been as such for a while. It didn't make sense at all. What benefit was there to leave the brain of Academy City completely abandoned and under protected for such a long time.

Taking out her handheld, Mikoto hacked into the system with her ability. However, she was shocked to find that Tree Diagram had not received a single request all day. For a super computer as powerful and important to the city as it was, it should have received several hundred requests daily. Further searching revealed that the requests were indeed sent to the Data Center. However, they never got processed and were just sitting in the computer gathering dust, figuratively and literally.

Eventually, after a little bit of digging, Miko managed to find several reports on Tree Diagram's activity. However, nothing could have prepared her for what those reports said.

"This is the final report regarding the disappearance of Tree Diagram," Mikoto read, "On July 28, at 0020 hours, all communications ceased, and Tree Diagram disappeared from it satellite track. At 0115 that same day, Search Party 1 was dispatched. Later at 0140, one section of Tree Diagram remnants was recovered. Analysis indicates that Tree Diagram no longer exists."

Mikoto could hardly believe it. Tree Diagram doesn't exist anymore? How? What could have happened. Suddenly, it clicked. It all had to do with the date and time it all happened.

"Wait, July 28 at 12:20 in the morning? That's when Index went out of control because of her magical defense systems," Mikoto realized, "That blue beam into space… that's what destroyed it, it has to be. Tree Diagram is gone… because of us."

* * *

 **Well, that was a thing. Yeah, this one feels like mostly a copy and paste job, but it was the best I could really do. A bit of extra backstory for Accelerator, Touma actually interrogation Misaka 10032 with very little results, and Mikoto's realization in the end were really all that is new. Still, good stepping stone for the next chapter, where things really start to shake up.**

 **So, what do you all think of my plans for this story and its possible expansion? Are you excited for it? Do you think its a bit too ambitious? Tell me your thoughts on the future of the story and this chapter in a review. If you like what I have planned for a spin-off, try to guess who the mysterious Lancer is. Your only hit is that they're someone who has appeared in either Fate or Toaru before.**

 **See you all next time!**


	34. Damning Evidence

**Here we are again! We're getting closer to the climax everyone is waiting for. For now, lets take another step closer to that climax. The arc only picks up from here. Not much to say. Let's just get the Q &A done so you can all get to the chapter itself.**

 **ahsoei: Glad the twist and end scene are acceptable. To be fair, Touma's playing the role of a private investigator right now. A more passive, investigative role is natural for the progression of the story.**

 **Kim454: Don't entirely see the Enkidu/Gilgamesh connection, but whatever. I'm sure the added soundtrack will be an entertaining addition.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Sad the King of Trolls has been put to rest. Glad to know the few changes I was able to make were satisfying. Let's see how good your predictions are.**

 **Majin Othinus: Bit of a self-centered guess don't you think. Keep guessing.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: I wanted Touma to be more active, but given the current situation, I could only really give him a passive investigator role. No, the Railgang doesn't get too involved in Angel Fall, but someone else does.**

 **mohamadstar94: Touma will get more involved, in a sense.**

 **awardedall: That's the thing, pain and suffering are not synonymous with character growth. It just seems like that because it is easiest to relate to someone who does suffer. That's kind of how chaos theory works, everything bad that can happen has happened to someone. Plus, having Touma suffer greatly an collapse form the suffering just isn't in character for him. He's the kind of person who complains about misfortune but takes it in stride an moves forward. It took Othinus an innumerable number of worlds and deaths before she got Touma to break and give up. He is just that persistent.**

 **RedSS: You had to play the technicality card, didn't you? Sorry for the apparent laziness. There just wasn't a lot to change or could change. Hey, that crossover is still a long way away. I don't even have a complete plan in place yet.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: To be fair, its not that Touma doesn't find it unbelievable, its just he can't say anything concrete without sufficient evidence.**

 **Kami (Guest): I just made changes that were appropriate for the earlier changes to the story. I might add in some Index/Saten/Uiharu scenes, but I don't want to break the flow to much. Yeah, I'm thinking I'm going to combine the two episodes that the battle takes place over, so the climax will be an appropriately longer chapter.**

 **Chroma (Guest): Thanks!**

 **Guest (1): Hey, we all make mistakes. Plus, the Nasuverse is not something that's easy to get introduced to, what with all the extremely expansive lore you need to research. The man has been working on his world since high school. I don't really know anything about Bleach, so not likely to appear. I will have you know that of the three, Bleach has the most likeliness of being a part of the greater crossover due to it's modern day setting. Naruto & One Piece are just too drastic of worlds to be part of an interconnected universe.**

 **guest (Guest): General plot stays the same, it's how that plot is executed that is different.**

 **Guest (2): The thing to remember about Mikoto is that, despite being the third most powerful Esper in the city, she is only human. She is the most grounded out of all the Level 5s, and by a rather large margin as well. She is prone to selfishness and emotional turmoil, just like everyone else, so these reactions from her are expected.**

 **fencer29: Well, childhood is the base of any person. It's not a surprise he tried the same trick again with Mikoto. It will be as expected, just the gang going through the motions with a few subtle changes in how events play out due to a much more connected cast of characters.**

 **Generation Zero: Well, the confrontations between Touma and Mikoto will definitely have some changes to it. What those changes are will sure to be a surprise. I'm not too sure about how I want the Misaki's interactions with Touma to be. I'm leaning towards a slight change in backstory, but I honestly know very little about her from personal experience since I don't have easy access to the novels and her backstory isn't examined until much later in NT. I have until the Daihasei to make a decision. I'm glad you like the additions to Accelerator's past. Of course, the whole thing is based on my own interpretation with a sprinkle of fan theory. Character growth and exploration was the main purpose of the story. A "what if" scenario of if the characters had a fuller view of their world.**

 **RPGPersona: Huh, I guess I can see that. I'm definitely a bit more of a "here are your answers" kind of writer. I can't blame you for missing the Fate reference. Nasuverse lore is expansive and confusing as hell. I'm glad you liked the little changes. There was very little I could really do, but I'm glad there was at least something to work with. Sorry, off the mark with that guess. You can keep trying until that story comes out, where the reveal is planned to happen much later into it.**

 **Guest (3): Here you go!**

 **And that's all the Q &A. You know the drill. Disclaimer, story, end card.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 34: Damning Evidence

As Mikoto walked away from the Tree Diagram Data Center, should hardly believe the irony of the situation. She came to District 23 to manipulate and destroy Tree Diagram to put in end to Project Level 6 Shift. However, upon arriving, she learned she already destroyed it. Nearly a month ago on July 28, she, Touma, and all of their friends saved Index from permanent memory erasure. However, saving one brain came at the cost of two others. Touma was left with total amnesia and Academy City's brain, Tree Diagram, was accidentally destroyed in the crossfire of the fight.

The worst part about the whole situation was the fact that Academy City seemed to be functioning completely normally without Tree Diagram in orbit, and most of the populace was blissfully unaware of it. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that something was amiss. Weather hadn't been as nearly as accurately predicted in since the supercomputer was destroyed when it used to be possible to know the exact time it would stop raining on any given day.

However, the most damning part of the situation was the fact that Project Level 6 Shift had been playing out on schedule despite all the wrenches Mikoto threw in, both intentionally and accidentally. Tree Diagram was destroyed, but the project proceeded based on it original calculations. She destroyed over thirty research facilities, but they all just transferred the research material she was unable to destroy to even more facilities. Now it was August 21, and she was completely out of cards to play.

As she walked down the streets of District 23, Mikoto realized that one of the facilities to receive transfers from Project Level 6 Shift was on the same block she was. This gave Mikoto an idea. Maybe she still had moves to make. Even if Plan B failed, she could always go back to Plan A.

* * *

"Thanks for waiting," Touma greeted as he exited the bookstore.

Unfortunately, he quickly realized that no one else was there. Mikoto's sister had apparently disappeared. The only trace of her was her cat and a loaf of sweet bread she left for him.

"Hey, On Hold," Touma greeted as he picked the kitten off the ground, "You're still here, so where did she go?"

Cradling the kitten in his arms, Touma scanned the street before noticing an alley way just across from the bookstore. Despite the unlikelihood, Touma's instincts told him to investigate. Crossing the street, he walked in front of the alley with a bit of skepticism in his step.

"Hey, Misaka's sister!" Touma called into the alley.

When he didn't get an immediate response, Touma couldn't help but chuckle over his strange instincts.

"Don't know why she would be in here anyway," he mused, turning to leave.

"H-help," a weak, masculine voice called out from inside the dark alley.

Turning back towards the tight space, Touma pulled out his ODD and shifted it into its recently added flashlight mode. Illuminating the alley way, Touma saw a group of four collapsed high school students on the ground. One of them, the one who called for help, seemed to be extremely shaken up. The other three were knocked out and injured, two of them heavily so, with one of them having two pieces of scrap metal driven through his hand. It was not a pretty sight to see.

Putting his stuff and the kitten down to the side, Touma quickly rushed over to the only student who was able to speak. Kneeling down next to him, Touma slipped on his armband as he tried to council the shaken student.

"Hey, I'm with Judgement," Touma said, presenting his armband, "Are you alright? What happened here?"

"P-please, d-don't hurt me," the student stuttered helplessly, "J-just don't hurt me."

"This is Touma Kamijou of Judgement Branch 177," Touma reported through the communicator in his ODD bracelet, "I have four victims of an unknown crime, one shaken, three knocked out an injured, two of them heavily so. Requesting Anti-Skill medical assistance to my location."

Standing back up, Touma swept his ODD's flashlight across the alley to make sure he didn't miss any victims. However, what he found was much more disturbing. In the middle of the asphalt ground was a small crater, created through the use of extremely localized blunt force. This and the victim's injuries could only be explained by two things, an extremely powerful Esper, or a rogue magician.

He then heard a loud noise come from down the alley, echoing through its various twists and turns. It sounded like gunshots. Quickly collecting his things and tucking On Hold into his arms, Touma trekked further into the alley to investigate.

After walking a bit further in, Touma found an area of the alley completely destroyed. Bullet holes peppered the walls and a portion of the alley looked like a grenade had gone off in it, destroying an air conditioning unit and some gutters. At the end of the alley was a T-junction littered with broken glass shards from a crate's worth of bottles. In the middle of the pile of broken glass was a single brown shoe, the kind worn by Tokiwodai students.

"Is that… her shoe?" Touma mussed, shinning his ODD's flashlight at the item to investigate.

As he kneeled down to get a closer look, he heard even more gunfire coming from down the left corridor. A little further down the left path was the missing pair of the shoe abandoned in the pile of glass. Touma got back on his feet, eyeing the path in front of him. He took a slow step forward before quickly breaking into a sprint. Something terribly wrong was going on, and he had to figure out what it was before it was too late.

* * *

In the middle of District 23, Mikoto was once again doing everything in her power to destroy facilities affiliated with Project Level 6 Shift. However, she had dropped all forms of subtly at this point. She didn't go in disguised. She didn't attempt espionage. She didn't even try to hide herself from the researcher in the facility. She just rampaged. She blasted through the facility with everything she had. She was going to destroy all of it. Every single trace of Project Level 6 Shift until there was nothing left.

'It will take time, but some day…' Mikoto thought to herself in her killrage.

'Some day?' some other, nihilistic part of her mind questioned, 'Some day it will all be over, but how long until some day arrived? Until then, how many more Sisters are going to die?'

"Shut up!" Mikoto yelled in a fit of rage, releasing a massive surge of electricity that blew apart a majority of the room she was in, "What else do you want me to do?! End it all?! Right now?! This minute?! Please, tell me! How the hell am I supposed to do that?!"

Her nerves at the edge of their rope, Mikoto noticed something on playing on one of the monitors that miraculously managed to go unharmed in her rampage. It was a live feed from one of Academy City's many security cameras. On that feed was a Sister, collapsed on the ground with a bullet wound in her right shoulder. Slowly approaching the monitor, Mikoto watched in horror as the Sister attempted to you a weak electric shock, only to have it reflected back at her by Accelerator's automatic defenses.

"No," Mikoto begged as she watched Accelerator dip his fingers into his victim's bullet wound, "No. What are you doing? Please, sto-"

Her please were for naught. Accelerator couldn't here her as it was, of course, a one-way video feed. Suddenly, the feed was absurd by a large red stain. It was the Sister's blood, exploded from her body as a result of a sudden reversal in blood flow. Mikoto could only watch in complete horror as it all happened. It was all too much, what she just saw. All she could do at that point was collapse on the ground and cry, surrounded by the destruction she caused.

* * *

Having just finished trial number 10031 of Project Level 6 Shift, Accelerator exited the alley so the remaining Sisters could clean up the mess he made. He had some time before the next experiment was scheduled to begin, so he figured he would take the opportunity to stop by a restaurant and grab some dinner. As he walked, he thought back to when the experiments first started about a year ago, when he fought Misaka 1.

It seemed like a simple enough project when he first agreed. Fight a clone of the Level 5 Railgun, win, repeat the process another 19999 times and he would be a Level 6 with invincibility. However, something about the whole experiment was completely amiss. First, there was the fact that clone was using a firearm to fight rather than her ability, something that a Level 5 would most certainly not do, especially when their title was "Raigun". Then there was the clone's rather basic understanding of battle tactics. So basic that it was a piece of cake for Accelerator to get behind her and knock her off her feet with a single tap. She was a total joke.

He later learned that the clones where unable to match the power of the actual Railgun, leaving them as Level 2 or 3 Electromasters at most. In addition, they were supposed to gain combat experience through their shared memory and the experiment itself, meaning Accelerator wasn't going to get a real challenging fight until he defeated a couple thousand of them. The whole situation was a rip off.

He tried to leave the facility shortly after that, thinking it was the end of the experiment. However, the researchers wouldn't let him, saying that the trial had yet to officially finish. Apparently, it wasn't going to end until the clone had been completely dispatched, eliminated at terminated. The researcher's exact language threw Accelerator for a loop, suggesting he was to kill them. However, before he could reach that conclusion, the clone continued the fight, following her orders, and attempted to fire at him.

The attack failed, ending with the bullet reflecting off him and lodging itself into the clone's torso. The girl quickly collapsed on to the floor, slowly bleeding out of her bullet wound. She laid there quietly, describing the experience of death to herself and the rest of the Misaka Network. She was dead within a minute of receiving the fatal wound.

That had been his first kill. That was the first time Accelerator took a life. The researchers reassured him that it was totally fine as they were not real people. After all, they were manufactured from chemicals and proteins, mass produced into the thousands. Either way, Accelerator had blood on his hands. There was not turning back now.

* * *

When Touma found at the end of the trail of destruction in the alley was too horrible for him to handle. There was only one thing that he could say at the sight of the mess in front of him.

"So much… blood," he whispered, tightening his grip on the kitten.

He momentarily lost his balance on his feet, nearly collapsing on the ground. He tried his best to suppress his gag reflex, desperately holding his hand over his mouth to keep his lunch down. Steeling himself the best he could, Touma connected his ODD's communicator to a direct line to the Anti-Skill headquarters in District 7.

"This is Touma Kamijou of Judgement Branch 177," he reported with a shaky voice, "I'm reporting the remains of a terrible murder."

A few minutes after finding the body of what appeared to be Mikoto's Sister, Anti-Skill arrived at the scene, tapping off access to the alley that Touma found her in. The four boys Touma ran into had also been taken into custody and transferred to a hospital to treat their wounds and interrogate them as to what exactly happened. That just left Touma to guide the Anti-Skill officers to the scene of the crime.

At the moment, Touma was seated just outside of the alley, trying to steady his nerves and process everything that happened. The sight of all that blood splattered along the ground and the walls would never leave him, but in this case that might have been a good thing. The shape of the splatter had a negative zone on its rim, creating a huge gap where there was no blood at all. Thus, Touma concluded that the person was able to manipulate matter in some fashion. There was also a lot of collateral damage to the area, but those could mostly be explained by the sounds of gunfire. However, that did leave the question of exactly who, or whom, armed. However, Touma was unable to come to a clear conclusion as he lacked evidence and two Anti-Skill officers requested he lead them to the body.

Agreeing to help, Touma got up from his seat and lead the Anti-Skill officers into the alley, the kitten still in his arms. The three Disciplinary Committee members treed through the alley at a steady pace, following Touma's lead. As the walked, Touma noted several bits of evidence of Misaka's death, such as the random bits of destruction like the bullet holes and explosion and her discarded shoes. However, when they finally reached the site, Touma was surprised to find that the body was gone.

"T-the body," Touma stuttered, "It was right there, just a few minutes ago."

"You sure, kid?" one of the Anti-Skill officers asked, "There doesn't seem to be a hit of a murder here."

"How the," Touma whispered, stepping closer to the site.

"Hey, kid," the other officer, "Our people just checked all the cameras in the area. There where no signs of anything suspicious."

"Impossible!" Touma yelled in disbelief.

Spotting a nearby security camera, Touma pulled out his ODD and aimed one end of it towards the camera. With a mental command, a cord fired from the device and attached itself to the camera's exterior. A holographic projection appeared over the screen of ODD's bracelet, displaying the video feed recovered from the camera. The feed revealed that no one had passed through area within the last couple of minutes.

"No way," Touma breathed in disbelief, "How could this camera not have picked up on the murder?"

"That device," one of the Anti-Skill officers mused, "Hey, kid, you're that Certain Strange Addition to Judgement, aren't you? The one getting involved in all the heavy cases lately? Touma Kamijou, was it?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me," Touma replied, returing ODD to its standby form.

The two Anti-Skill officers gave each other a look before addressing Touma again.

"Listen, Kamijou," the other officer called back, "We're just going to call this a false alarm. We think you've been stressing yourself out way too much with all these big cases you've been involved in recently. Try to take it easy for a little bit. We can't have our rising star go paranoid on us."

"B-but," Touma stammered.

"Take it easy, kid," the Anti-Skill officers said with a wave as they left.

"What's… going on?" Touma asked himself, "What the hell is happening?!"

Touma was extremely confused. First, there was Mikoto's strange behavior over the last couple of days. All of that started shortly after they discussed the rumors surrounding Level 5 clones. Soon after that, he meets her supposed identical twin, someone he had no record of at all in his journal or his current memories. The day after meeting this twin, he finds her murdered in an alley, only to find all traces of the murder completely erased a few minutes later after calling the authorities. None of it made sense. How did it all connect? Did it all connect at all?

As Touma pondered these things, the kitten he was holding in his arms started meowing behind in the direction behind him. When he turned around to see what the kitten was so worked up about, he was both relieved and shocked by what he had saw. Mikoto's younger twin sister was standing behind him at the end of the ally with a large, black bag resting on her shoulder.

"Misaka…" Touma whispered.

"I am sorry about this," the girl said in her usual monotone, "It was my intention to meet back up with you once I completed the op, so, Misaka apologizes with complete sincerity."

"You're alive," Touma sighed in relief, laughing slightly, "Thank goodness, I thought you had died. Guess those Anti-Skill were right about me overworking myself."

'Considering all the crap I got put through over the last month alone, I guess it was a logical conclusion,' Touma thought to himself with levity.

"No, you were correct about Misaka's death, Misaka confirms your observation," the girl cut in.

"Huh?" Touma asked in complete and utter confusion.

That last statement didn't make any sense. She was standing right in front of him. How could he have been right about her death? People die when they are killed, so how could she be standing in front on him in that moment, alive?

Touma took a closer look at the girl in front of him, desperately trying to figure out what exactly she meant. He took notice of the bag she was carrying on her shoulder. It was the size of a person and of the type he had seen many times in Anti-Skill's inventory for the rare murder case.

"T-that's a body bag, isn't it," Touma noted, "Who is in there? Why do you have it?"

"Before saying more, I must verify your password, please, Misaka says as she was instructed. ZXC741-ESD852-WC963. Well? Asks Misaka, testing you."

"Uh, say what?" Touma asked in confusion.

"Given the fact you are unable to decode the password, you have obviously not been read into the experiment, so, Misaka cannot not say any more," the girl said calmly.

"That's enough!" Touma snapped, "I'll be honest, I've been suspicious about you since yesterday, but have been keeping quiet! You claim to be Misaka's sister, but this is the first time I've ever heard about you in the time I've know Misaka! Now I find you in an alley claiming that you died while carrying a body bag on your shoulder! What is in the bag?!"

"It contains Sisters," a familiar voice said behind Touma.

Turning around, Touma could hardly believe what he was seeing. Several more girls, all identical to the one he was currently speaking to, where walking down the alley towards him. They spoke in sync, completing each other's sentences as if they were all one mind.

"Misaka says calmly. I apologize for having to leave the cat with you…"

"… says Misaka…"

"… but I did not feel right bringing it."

"It seems like a violent battle between humans is not place for an innocent animal, Misaka says, justifying her actions."

"I appear to have caused undue concern. That is an unfortunate result of the experiment," another identical girl said as more girls joined the girl carrying the body bag.

"Misaka says apologizing again…"

"… but there was no real need to be worried."

"You see, we are many."

"All of us are Misaka."

"The rumors," Touma breathed in shock, "the ones about Level 5 clones. They're all true, aren't they?"

"Correct. Up until now, you have been in contact with one MIsaka, serial number 10032," the Misaka holding the body bag explained, "You see, I am that Misaka. However, the Misaka who died today was serial number 10031, the same Misaka you ran into with big sister yesterday, Misaka explains to differentiate."

"All Misakas have the ability to control electricity…"

"… and our brainwaves are all connected to each other."

"Therefore, we all share a common memory, Misaka adds, explaining further."

"Does Mikoto know about all this?" Touma asked, using Mikoto's given name to differentiate.

"She does. However, she has no need to be concerned. We are simply cellular clones that have been mass produced for military purposes. The original donor is Mikoto MIsaka, one of only seven Level 5s in Academy City," the girl carrying the body bag explained as she lowered her goggles over her eyes, "We are her Sisters, says Misaka in conclusion."

"So, if the rumors about cloning her were all true, what is all this?" Touma asked, "Why are you all here?"

"We are performing an experiment, Misaka reiterates."

"The details are classified, so I cannot explain further…"

"… however, this is nothing to be concerned about, Misaka says reassuringly."

"Once again, I hope you will accept my sincere apologizes for involving you in this experiment, Misaka requests, bowing her head. Now then, if you will look after the cat."

Without another word, all of the Sisters left the alley, one after another. Touma could only watch in shock as the girls walked away as if nothing had happened. He stood there for a few solid minutes, barely able to process what he had just learned.

Eventually, Touma was able to leave the alley and start making his way to Saten's dorm. Of course, he still had to deliver the cat book Index needed. As he walked, all of the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Mikoto's behavior seemed to stem from the knowledge of the Sisters and the experiment they were being killed in. Coupled with the destruction of research facilities related to biological and electromagnetic research and electric means that the damages where dealt, it was reasonable to conclude that Mikoto was attacking the facilities to put a stop to experiments. However, that still left the question of what kind of experiment they were doing in the first place. What could killing so many clones, over ten thousand of the, possibly accomplish in any scientific field?

Soon enough, Touma found himself at Saten's dorm. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by both Saten and Index, with Sphinx sitting comfortably on top of Index's head.

"He's that cat book you asked for," Touma said, handing the book over.

"Thanks, Kamijou," Saten replied, taking the package off his hands, "I'm sure this will be a great help for Index when it comes to raising Sphinx."

"Hey, Touma, why do you have a cat with you?" Index asked.

"I'm just watching him for a friend," Touma replied simply.

As much as he wanted to let his friends know what was happening, he figured it would be best to keep things on the down low. No need to needlessly involve everyone in a problem he didn't have all the details to. Until he had all the answers he needed, he would keep the Sisters a secret. No telling how everyone would react if they learned their friend had been cloned several thousand times and those clones were being killed. They would learn in good time.

"So, Kamijou, care to come in?" Saten offered, "We're about to have dinner now. I'm sure we can give your friend's cat a decent meal as well."

"I'll pass," Touma replied, "I actually have something else to attend to. I'll see you girls tomorrow."

"Alright then," Saten agreed.

"Bye Touma!" Index cheered as she closed the door.

Leaving the dorm, Touma made his way to the nearest bus stop. There was one more thing he needed to take care of, and that was Mikoto. One way or another, he was going to find out just what was going on with her.

* * *

 **Again, not a lot to change here. Just some more reveals, a slight change in Touma's relationship with Anti-Skill since he's a member of Judgement, and a little more exposure on ODD's functionality since its upgrade. Next chapter will be out soon enough, and man is that one going to be an emotional roller coaster to write. If you haven't found a way to listen to Stand Still by Yuka Iguchi, I suggest you find it before I update next.**

 **Until then, leave a review and tell me what you thought. I'll see you all next time!**


	35. Terrible Truths

**Here we are, everyone. The emotional roller coaster that is the pre-fight chapter. I hope you all have a download or link for "Stand Still" by Yuka Iguchi on standby, because you all know what scene is being reimagined, and you're going to need it. In fact, let's take a moment for all of you to open an extra tab on your browser or start your apps so you have the song ready when the time comes. Don't worry, I'll tell you when.**

 **For now, let's get the Q &A out of the way so we can get to the good stuff.**

 **Sesshoru: Yeah, wrong chapter buddy. That's not until next chapter.**

 **ahsoei: I hope I meet your expectations.**

 **icedshadows: ...Wow... terrible ice puns... I like you. Thanks for the support!**

 **Bluejack222: Thank you.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: When it comes to Touma's fights, I always try to find some way to implement ODD as something other than a collapsible staff or spear. You'll see plenty of that in the next chapter. I suggest you find some non-nightcore version of "Stand Still" by Yuka Iguchi before you start reading. Trust me, you're going to want to have it.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, not a lot happened last chapter. That was just a warm up for the really heavy hitting stuff.**

 **RedSS: Wow, I actually lost sins this time around. I might actually further develop that line into a latter plotline. PTSD Touma, anybody?**

 **Aquadude: Really, it's less mental instability, more seed of doubt in her own abilities.**

 **RPGPersona: I always found it odd how the thugs were randomly gone in Railgun considering Accelerator beat them up no more than 5 minutes prior to Misaka 10031 showing up. Most of the group was heavily injured and the last one was pretty much traumatized, so they shouldn't have gotten away on their own. Just adding a bit more consistent continuity. Don't worry too much about ODD, as far as combat capabilities go, it's gone as far as it can with the tech Academy City has to offer. From now on, upgrades in latter versions will mostly be functionality enhancements, like the added communicator and hacking interface. Given its structure, ODD can't diverge too much from its pole shape and can only assume forms that adhere to that pole shape. The only way it could feasibly take on other forms is if the whole think could change shape on a molecular level, like it was made from Transformium or nanomachines. When you have nearly ten thousand clones doing the cleaning, its not that hard.**

 **Guest (1): Easy man, I'm not trying to kill anyone.**

 **Guest (2): Again, the key to my potential MCU (Multi Crossover Universe) is that all involved franchises must have a similar setting. Since Toaru is the foundation of my MCU, the franchises included must take place in a modern setting and either have a large emphasis on science or magic. For example, something like the Nasuverse could qualify since it is a modern setting with a magical underworld, essentially one half of what Toaru is. However, something like FM(B) does not qualify since it takes place in a fictional Earth with an alternate history and country structure. Also, I can't have franchises with over lapping concepts, as that creates conflict in the MCU lore. This further keeps FM(B) from being a candidate since I've already mentioned the Nasuverse version of Alchemy, which is a branch of magic. The only exceptions to this rule are cases when the concepts are similar enough to mesh, as was the case with Toaru and Nasuverse Alchemy. Also, I'm more likely to include franchises I am familiar with if I want to include certain concepts. As a result, if I wanted to include Shinegami as a concept, I'd be more likely to include Death Note than Bleach as I have read and watched pretty much all of the core material for the former. This isn't some otaku wet dream, this is a meticulously thought out, shared universe akin to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).**

 **Guest (3): Yeah, humanized characters are some of the best on a emotional level.**

 **Kami: I don't think Touma has a dark side. He's always been a complexly straight forward kind of character. He's unrelenting in his quest to help people simply because it is right, and his only rule when it comes to helping people is that no one but himself makes any sacrifice. Besides, that was less Mikoto's dark side, more her inner doubt.**

 **Okay, now that that's out of the way, disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 35: Terrible Truths

"Here we go again," Kuroko sighed at her desk, "You're not coming home tonight, are you, Sissy? But earlier today, you said this would all be over."

Looking over to Mikoto's empty bed, Kuroko couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. After several lonely nights of covering for her roommate, Kuroko finally thought things were going to go back to normal. Yet, once again, Mikoto was late coming home. Kuroko thought back to early that morning when she pounced on Mikoto to snuggle her after they woke up. She expected to get punched for her actions, but it never came. Instead, Mikoto patted her head and gave her a simple morning greeting. However, Kuroko noticed something odd about that greeting, behind the lack of physical trauma. For some reason, Mikoto had a solemn look in her eyes.

"The look on her face, there was something there!" Kuroko declared, slipping on her Judgement armband, "I cannot continue to ignore this! There must be something I can do to help with the situation, regardless of what Sissy might say."

However, before she could properly pin her armband to her sleeve, Kuroko had a moment of hesitation. Dropping her arms in defeat, she let her armband slip off her sleeve, allowing it to drop on the floor. As much as she wanted to go and investigate, she already decided that she was going to wait for Mikoto to come to her for help.

Not sure what to do, Kuroko plopped on to Mikoto's bed, hugging her roommate's pillow for comfort. She inhaled with her face in the pillow, taking in the residue of her roommate's scent.

"No!" Kuroko cried in a panic, drooling slightly, "I must stop this now! If I take her scent in for too long, I'll pass out."

Despite her personal protests, Kuroko quickly found herself holding the pillow over her face, taking in the intoxicating scent of her precious roommate. She probably would have continued to do so for the next hour or so if not for the dorm's intercom going off, indicating either she or Mikoto had a visitor. Quickly composing herself, Kuroko got off the bed and went over to the dorm's intercom station. Honestly, she was quite curious. Who could possibly want to visit so late at night?

Once at the intercom station, Kuroko was surprised to see Touma on the video feed.

"Hi, Kamijou. What are you doing here?" Kuroko asked, answering the intercom.

" _Hey, Pigtails. Is Misaka there?_ " Touma said on the other end of the line, " _There's something I need to talk to her about._ "

'That's odd,' Kuroko thought to herself, 'What's Kamijou doing here? And why is he using Sissy's name? He usually only calls her by his nickname for her. If he's calling her by her name and coming to talk in person, it must be important.'

"No, Sissy isn't home right now. She should be back soon though," Kuroko replied, "If you need to talk to her that badly, I suggest you come up to the room and wait for her."

Kuroko quickly pressed the unlock button on the intercom station, opening the lobby's checkpoint door for Touma.

" _Oh, are you sure that's okay?_ " Touma asked in concern.

"If you really want to see Sissy, this is the only option," Kuroko explained, "Once curfew hits, the security will activate, and you won't be able to stay in the lobby."

" _I guess that makes sense_ ," Touma conceded, " _All right, I'll see you up there in a bit._ "

Once Touma hung up, Kuroko quickly laid herself on her belly on top of Mikoto's bed. She trusted Touma, she really did, but she wasn't about to give him access to Mikoto's bed. That was exclusive property of Mikoto and herself.

Soon enough, Touma could be heard knocking on the door. After Kuroko told him it was unlocked, he let himself into the room.

"Sorry to intrude," Touma apologized as he came in.

"It's not a problem at all. If anything, I should be apologizing," Kuroko greeted, "This room is mainly used for sleeping in, so there's not much in terms of entertainment for guests. You might as well take a seat on the bed."

"I'll pass," Touma replied, "I'd rather not sit on Misaka's bed without her permission. She'd try to zap me to death is she found out."

"You don't have to worry about it," Kuroko insisted, "That's my bed."

"As perverted as usual I see. Laying on Misaka's bed without her permission and trying to coax me into getting on your bed," Touma sighed, "Do you seriously take me for an idiot?"

"Doesn't everyone?" Kuroko countered.

"I'll have you know my analysis and deduction abilities are quite sharp," Touma argued back.

"Regardless, if it makes you feel better, I had no plans for jumping you," Kuroko stated, "Besides, do you really have the right to call someone perverted when you're standing in an all-girls dorm?"

"This is completely different!" Touma yelled, getting annoyed.

"Shh!" Kuroko stressed, "You should keep your voice down. Things will get ugly if anyone knows you're here. Just suck it up and take a seat."

"Alright, fine," Touma relented, sitting at the corner of Kuroko's bed.

"So, mind telling me what's the deal with the cat?" Kuroko asked, pointing towards the kitten Touma was holding.

"Oh, this guy? I'm just looking after him for a friend, that's all," Touma explained.

"Is that so? So, what exactly did you need to talk to Sissy about?" Kuroko asked, "On second thought, don't tell me. I've already decided not to act on anything I may learn regarding her situation."

"You know, for someone who regularly tries to bed her, you sure do have a lot of respect for Misaka's privacy," Touma noted, "You're so eager to know, yet you refuse to push pry into her secrets."

"Well, sometimes people just need space to think things out, you know," Kuroko offered, "Remember that time you yelled at Uiharu for getting upset over use suspecting Haruee during the Poltergeist case? You didn't speak to her for quite a while so she could figure everything out."

"True, but there are some things that need intervention, you know," Touma argued, "Personally, I don't let things like what other people would think stop me from doing what I think is right. If there is something I can do to help, I'm going to do it, even if every other rule or guideline says I shouldn't."

"This coming from the raising star of Judgement?" Kuroko asked, "A group dedicated to upholding the rules and guidelines of Academy City?"

"Hypocritical, I know, but every rule has an exception," Touma mused.

Before the conversation could carry on, the sound of footsteps could be heard outside in the halls. They were so quiet, only the cat was able to hear them at first. However, as they got closer, the humans in the room were able to hear it.

"Do you hear that? It sounds like the Dorm Manager is running another one of her random patrols!" Kuroko panicked, "If she finds you here, there will be a lot of trouble!"

"Your Dorm Manager!" Touma cried, "You think she remembers the time the Delta Force tried to set her up with Mr. Daigo and we forget to check if he was even single?"

"All the more reason to get you out of here!" Kuroko quietly screamed, grabbing Touma's arm.

"You can't teleport me, remember? Imagine Breaker?"

"Wasn't planning on it!" Kuroko said as she threw him on to the floor next to Mikoto's bed, "Get under there!"

"W-wait, there's no room!" Touma protested.

"Just do it!" Kuroko ordered, kicking Touma under the bed.

"You don't have to kick!" Touma complained.

As soon as he was safely under the bed, Touma found himself faced with the giant Gekota plushie he won Mikoto at Phantasm Carnival so many weeks ago. The giant frog seemed to look back at him, almost as if greeting its short-lived owner.

'So this is where she keeps it,' Touma thought to himself, 'Good to see you too, buddy.'

From under the bed, Touma could hear Kuroko leading the Dorm Manager out of the room to investigate other rooms for his presence. As he waited for the coast to be clear, he noticed the cat climb over the stuffed frog and hide on the other side. Not wanting to lose track of the cat, Touma shifted the head of the toy so he could see the kitten on the other side. Once he did, he saw the cat pull on a zipper on the frog's back, opening up the storage compartment inside and revealing a couple sheets of paper. At the corner of one of the pieces of paper was a key word that been haunting Touma since earlier that afternoon, "Sisters".

Seeing an opportunity, Touma quickly crawled out from under the bed and dragged the giant Gekota with him. He then took out the papers stored inside the frog, examining them thoroughly. It was all there. All of the information he needed to know what exactly the Mikoto was dealing with. Project Level 6 Shift, the supposition behind its existence, the reason that the Sisters were being produced and killed. It was all in the files.

Also among the files was a map of Academy City. It wasn't just any map, it was the same map he saw in the Judgement reports of possible arson a couple days ago. All of the same facilities that were attacked were crossed out on the map, along with a couple extra ones. This pretty much proved Touma's hypothesis that Mikoto was the one responsible for the attacks, most likely to stop the experiments.

However, the most frightening file was the timetable for the different experiments. Misaka 10032, the same sister he had been spending all afternoon with trying to take care of the kitten he had with him, was scheduled for her experiment tonight. It was to start on August 21, at 2030 hours. Checking the time, it was already 19:34, military time, less than an hour away from the start of the experiment.

He would have to apologize to Kuroko later. Right now, Touma had no time for subtly and manners. Grabbing the files and the cat, Touma jumped out of the second store window and ran out on to the streets of Academy City. He needed to find Mikoto as soon as he could. He had a lot of answers, but she was the one with all of them. If he wanted a straight record of what was happening, he needed to get them from Mikoto.

As Touma ran down the streets at random, he noticed that several of the city's windmill were turning. However, there was something odd about their behavior. For one, the weather was calm. The was no wind to turn the windmills at all. Then, there as the direction they were turning. All the windmills that did turn were moving the wrong way.

Suddenly, it clicked. The structure of a generator and a motor are essentially the same, a metal wrapped in a coil of insolated wires. They turned movement into electricity by having a turbine turn the magnet and turned electricity into movement by running an oscillating electrical current through the wire, causing the magnet to constantly attract and repel itself towards the constantly changing electromagnetic poles. If an electromagnetic field like the ones Electromasters like Mikoto generated were to pass over an inactive generator, it would generate the current necessary to turn the generator into a motor. If Touma followed the turning windmills, he would find the strongest Electromaster, Mikoto Misaka.

* * *

Late at night, Mikoto stood alone at the edge of a steel bridge. Her entire situation felt completely hopeless. Despite her best efforts, Project Level 6 Shift had continued without any delays. She had thrown everything she had at the experiment, but it did absolutely nothing. Now, backed into a corner, Mikoto was left with only one option left. If this plan worked, it would put an end to the experiment and save the Sisters. It was a solid enough plan, but she didn't like it. She wanted another way. She wished there was another way. However, despite how she felt, there were no other options left for her. All she could do was hope, but even that wasn't enough to reassure her.

"Please help," Mikoto cried quietly, "Somebody, help."

As tears began to form in her eyes, Mikoto heard a quiet meow off to her left. Looking in that direction, she saw a single, black kitten sitting on the road, looking up at her. She then heard the sound of footsteps approaching, as well as some rather heavy breathing. Looking past the cat, Mikoto saw a very tired and very mad looking Touma Kamijou approach her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Touma demanded, "Answer me."

"Isn't that the harsh greeting?" Mikoto replied, putting up a confident façade, "Don't people usually greet their friends with a hel-"

"Cut the crap," Touma cut her off, stepping closer.

"What's with you tonight?" Mikoto asked, "I'm just-"

"I read all about the project," Touma cut her off again, holding out her files on Project Level 6 Shift, "The experiments, your Sisters, everything. My own investigation using Judgement resources also tell me you're responsible for those attacks on the research facilities, and your files prove it. So like I said, cut the crap."

'Impossible, he knows,' Mikoto thought to herself in shock.

"Impressive. You only met my clone yesterday and you've already go your hands on this top-secret information," Mikoto replied, keeping up her façade, "Then again, it really shouldn't be surprising. You are the Certain Strange Addition, Judgement's rising star. You might have a future as a private investigator."

'Knowing him, he's definitely not going to approve of what I have planned.'

"Since you have that file, that must mean you've been in my room without my permission. Pretty dirty for a member of Judgement."

'Even if he knows I'm the one destroying the facilities, he probably thinks I did so after I volunteered my DNA map to start the experiments in the first place. He's probably going to condemn and arrest me for that.'

"Not only that, you looked inside my giant Gekota. Ironic, isn't it? You give it to me as a gift, then you use it to find my secrets."

'Oh well, he may not have all the facts, but the outcomes the same. Besides, the important stuff is still a mystery to him. I blame myself for all this. Someone like him should do the same.'

"So, did you come here to tell me how disgusting I am? Maybe even arrest me for my crimes?" Mikoto asked.

"That's what you think?" Touma asked in quiet outrage, "Do I look like I'm here as a member of Judgement? I'm here because I'm concerned."

Mikoto was thrown off guard. Sure, Touma had never been one to hold a grudge, but he never outright showed concern for someone who did something so horrible. This had to be a lie. A lie to spare her feelings.

"You know, it's kind of nice to hear someone say that," Mikoto admitted, welling up, "even if it isn't the truth."

"It is the truth," Touma declared, much to Mikoto's confusion, "I mean what I say!"

That finally started to break her. The dam was beginning to crack. It took all of Mikoto's strength to keep herself from crying. Eventually, she was able to compose herself, leaning on the bridge's railing to relax.

"You know what the Sisters say? They compare themselves to laboratory animals without batting an eye," Mikoto explained, "Like rats or guinea pigs, their bodies are messed around with for the sake of research, and when they're done, that's that. They're not stupid. They know exactly what it means to be some scientist's lab rat. They know, but still, that's what they refer to themselves as. They're in this situation because of me. It's my fault, so that makes it my duty to make sure the ones who are left survive."

"Where are you going now?" Touma asked as Mikoto started to walk past him.

"There's another experiment scheduled for tonight," Mikoto explained, "Before then, I'm going to track down Accelerator and fight him with every ounce of strength in my body."

However, before she could pass him, Touma held his left arm in front of her, cutting off her path.

"Can you defeat him? I have the file. Do you know what Tree Diagram predicts?" Touma asked, wrinkling the file in his grip, "That you've be dead in 185 moves. You can fight, I've been on the receiving end enough know that's true, but do you really think you'll win?"

"You're right. No matter what I try against him, there's no way I can win in a fair fight," Mikoto admitted, "However, what if I'm even worse then they expect me to be? What if I lose in the very first move? The prediction that I'd lose in 185 moves would be proven wrong. Maybe the researchers would see that and begin to doubt the whole project. Maybe they will be forced to reconsider the simulations. So maybe, by losing to him, I can actually make myself useful."

"So that's it?" Touma asked in utter disbelief, "You're planning to die? And you're convinced that if you die, the entire experiment would come crashing to a hault?"

"Yeah," Mikoto replied simply, "As far as the researchers are concerned, Tree Diagram's projections are absolute. But, if I was unceremoniously beaten on the very first move, lying there helpless and pathetic, surely there is only one thing they could think, that Tree Diagram's original programming had some sort of error. They'll stop."

"Wouldn't they just do some recalculations and just start back up again?" Touma countered.

"They wouldn't be able to. Tree Diagram was destroyed weeks ago, on July 28," Mikoto rebutted, "Sound familiar?"

"Wait, that's when…"

"That's right. The same event that gave you amnesia, also destroyed Tree Diagram," Mikoto concluded, "There won't be any recalculations."

"So, you've got it all figure out, huh?" Touma snarked.

"And now you know everything. So, would you just step aside," Mikoto replied, starting to walk again.

"No way!" Touma yelled, blocking her path with his left arm again, "I know you've convinced yourself you're doing the right thing, but I can't just let you march off to your death!"

"Would you just move?" Mikoto sighed, "I love you and all, but you can be a really big idiot sometimes."

"Wait, what do you say?" Touma asked, not entirely sure if he heard her right.

"Would you just move?" Mikoto repeated.

"No, after that."

"You can be a really big idiot sometimes?"

"No, in the middle!"

"Oh, that," Mikoto realized, "Yeah, I love you. Like I told you, I'm planning to die, so I figured I might as well put it all out there."

"How long?" Touma asked, still not completely believing what he was hearing.

"To be honest, it been like that for a while. This whole experience just put everything into perspective," Mikoto confessed, "I don't need an answer, and I don't want one either. It would put me at peace knowing that I told you, and rejection or acceptance would only make it harder. So, will you get out of the way already and let me have this."

"You can't be serious!" Touma yelled, "How do you expect me to let you go die after hearing that?!"

Mikoto wasn't having any more of Touma's resistance. Before he could react, she zapped the files on Project Level 6 Shift right of out his hand, turning them to dust. For anyone else that wasn't Touma, this would have made her point very clear.

"So, you have some other solution then?" Mikoto asked sarcastically, "Yeah, I didn't think so. Just take that idealism of yours and stuff it for once, will you? I don't have time for this."

"Say what you want, I won't move," Touma replied defiantly.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Mikoto growled as her power flared, scarring away the cat, "I know you want to save those girls as much as I do, so just move already. If not, I'll happily shoot right through you. Unless you want that, step aside!"

Touma simply shook his head. Once again, Mikoto's power flared, the electricity around her growing more violent.

"So, you want to settle this by force? How many times have I tried to fry you already?" Mikoto asked, "I may have never been able to overcome your Imagine Breaker before, but I know I can't afford to lose to you this time, so you better be ready to fight for your life. If you don't you will die! That might even be the optimal option. At the very least, if there is an afterlife, I'll see you there in Hell."

To emphasize her point, Mikoto zapped the nearby lamppost, overloading it instantly and bursting the bulb. Touma didn't flinch even once. Instead, he reached behind him and pulled out his ODD. However, rather than transform it into one of its many combat modes, he left it in its collapsed mode and reached for his left wrist. With the push of the screen, ODD's wrist mounted apparatus expanded in size and slipped off of Touma's arm. He then slid the bracelet on to ODD itself, where it collapsed in on itself, deactivating the entire device. Wordlessly, Touma threw his trusted tool to the side and raised his hands in a stance of surrender, much to Mikoto's confusion.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mikoto asked, "Why did you disarm yourself."

"I'm just standing," Touma replied simply, "I'm not going to fight you."

"What?"

"I'm not fighting."

"Huh? You can stop playing the noble idiot!" Mikoto demanded, "Do you think I'm going to stand aside just because you put your hands up and throw aside your weapon? I can't take any other route then this! I'm not kidding, I'll fry the life out of you if I have to! How I feel about you won't change that!"

"Well, go ahead then," Touma insisted, "I won't fight."

Finally, Mikoto snapped.

"Damn it!" she yelled as she fired a blast at one of the bridge's support beams, "If you want to stop me, then fight like a man! If you're not going to fight, then get the hell out of my way! Don't just stand there calmly and ruin all of my plans."

Not even flinching, Touma closed his eyes, inviting Mikoto to take her best shot. That was the least straw.

"This is the last time I'm going to say it," Mikoto declared, "FIGHT ME!"

With all of her might, Mikoto threw a powerful lighting spear at Touma. To her surprise and horror, the boy in front of her took a direct hit from her blast, knocking him down the road several meters. He lied there on the ground, smoking and completely limp.

"No way," Mikoto said to herself, "I've never been able to get an attack on him before. He didn't you Imagine Breaker. He just took the full force of my blow."

Out of concern, Mikoto took a few steps forward to try to check on him. However, she stopped when she saw him pick himself off the ground. Although he was clearly in a lot of pain, Touma pulled himself up, taking the same surrendered stance he had taken earlier. Horrified at he persistence, Mikoto gripped her right wrist out of guilt for having attacked him so viciously.

"Do you understand now?" Mikoto asked, quietly hoping it would change Touma's mind, "I'll do it, I will hurt you."

Touma didn't respond. He simply stood his ground and held his pose.

"What are you doing?" Mikoto asked in shock.

"I already said," Touma declared, "I refuse to fight you."

"I don't get it!" Mikoto yelled, "You know these experiments are wrong, don't you? I'm trying to put a stop to them! Why are you doing this?"

"Yeah, I know they're wrong," Touma agreed, "What they're doing is crazy, evil, and disgusting."

"They why are yo-"

"However, the way you have it planned, you are going to die tonight," Touma replied, "So I won't move."

Mikoto could hardly believe what she was hearing. It was pure logic and mathematics. The reason for why she should die for them was a clear as day. Even an idiot like Touma should have known what the reasoning behind her solution was. There wasn't even a real argument as far as Mikoto was concerned.

"Shut up, you fool," Mikoto demanded, "You're an idiot. Saying nice things, trying to reassure me. Well, I promise, I don't deserve it. Maybe you live in a world where everyone gets a happy ending, but in a world like that there's no place for me!"

"Say you die, and your Sisters all survive," Touma proposed, "do you really think they'll be grateful to you? You must have realized it. Do things your way, and you don't save anybody."

Mikoto finally had it. Once again, her power flared to life, overloading every single lamppost on the bridge. For the first time the entire confrontation, Touma flinched in response.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Mikoto declared, "I die tonight, that means ten thousand Sisters get to live. Really, these no decision there. If my single life can save ten thousand of theirs, that's a good thing, right? It's not much, but maybe it's enough? So please, just go."

"I'm not moving," Touma replied simply.

That was the last act of defiance to come from Touma's mouth. In a near instant, Mikoto engulfed the entire bridge in a giant sphere of electricity. The power surge caused brown outs that spanned several city blocks. The steel support beams began to bend at the immense electrical and magnetic power the Electromaster released. Nothing could have survived such an onslaught.

When the electricity finally stopped, Mikoto was on the end of her rope. She was exhausted, both physically from using such a powerful attack, and emotionally from using such an attack on the boy she just confessed to. Remnants of the attack could be seen throughout the bridge. Asphalt was torn apart and steel support beams surged with residual electricity. At the very least, nothing would stop her from doing what she intended to do.

However, the sound of a repeatedly meowing cat caught her attention. Looking ahead, Mikoto saw the same black cat from earlier meowing at the passed out Touma, over and over. His body was limp and smoking, clearing having been pushed to the limits of pain that he could endure. Slow, Mikoto started to make her way towards the fallen boy. She shuffled, then walked, then finally broke into a stumbling run. Once she reached him. She turned him on his back and pressed her ear to his chest.

For a terrible moment, she heard nothing. His chest was silent and still, not unlike a corps. Just as Mikoto feared the worse, a spark of hope reassured her. It was small, quiet, and slow, but it was there. Touma's heart was beating, a sure sign that he was alive. Mikoto was so relieved to hear that sound. In that moment, there was no sound more beautiful than the sound of his living, breathing heart.

With that comparably small crisis averted, all Mikoto could think about doing was making sure Touma was alright. Kneeling down on the ground, she set his head on her lap, providing him as much comfort as she possibly could with her limited resources. The kitten also approached, rolling Touma's discarded ODD towards the pair. It then sat next to them, looking over boy's unconscious head. They stayed like that for several minutes. Eventually, Touma finally woke up.

"You really are a complete idiot, aren't you?" Mikoto asked, tears forming in her eyes, "This is my problem, not yours. You could have just let me handle it instead on involving yourself. You could have just turned a blind eye and pretended you didn't see anything, going on with your normal life. Instead, you do all this, just like every other time someone had a problem. Why would you do this to yourself? You look like hell. I think you heart might have stopped for a second there."

As Mikoto spoke, Touma attempted to lift himself up. However, he found himself lacking the proper strength and fell on to her lap yet again. Despite his predicament, he couldn't help but smile and let out a weak laugh, much to Mikoto's confusion

"How can you smile like that after everything that's happened?" Mikoto asked, tears falling from her face and landing on to Touma's.

"I was just thinking 'I'm glad I'm on her side'," Touma said weakly, lifting his right hand to pet Mikoto's head, "Now, come on, stop crying."

Unfortunately, the dam had been completely shattered. Despite her own desires and Touma's encouraging request, Mikoto found herself unable to stop. For the first time since discovering Project Level 6 Shift, she let herself cry. She cried and cried until she felt like she had run out of tears to cry. When she finally did, Touma held his right hand in front of his face, eye it intensely.

"I have an idea," Touma declared, grabbing his ODD and picking himself up, "a way to force them to stop the experiments. Think about it. The experiment is based on the supposition that Accelerator is the strongest Esper. But, what if he is proven to be incredibly weak. For instance, let's say he was handedly defeated in a fight with a Level 0. The project's basic premise would be flawed."

"What are you say?" Mikoto asked in horror, "You can't mean…"

"That's right," Touma replied, reattaching ODD's bracelet with determination, "I'll fight him."

"Impossible! He's so strong and arrogant, he could take on an army without breaking a sweat!" Mikoto protested.

'I can't let him see Accelerator's face,' Mikoto thought to herself.

"If you fight him, you'll die for sure!"

'If he sees it, he'll instantly recognize him as Yuri.'

"If's someone's going to die stopping this experiment, it should be me!" Mikoto begged, "Don't throw your life away like this if you don't have to!"

'He can never know what Yuri Suzushina has become.'

"That's the difference between my plan and yours," Touma clarified, "I don't intend to die. I'll fight him, and I intend to win. Even he isn't immune to the negating power of Imagine Breaker. Out of everyone in Academy City, I have the best chance of beating him."

"Please," Mikoto pleaded, "Don't do this. I can't let you face him. I can't let you see what who he is."

"Why's that?" Touma inquired.

"I can't say," Mikoto replied, refusing to give away that information, "You just need to trust me on this."

"Misaka," Touma said sternly, turning to face her, "If there is still something you're hiding from me about the experiment, I need you to tell me now."

Touma looked her straight in the eye, clearly not going to take no for an answer. As much as she wanted to hide it from him, she knew he wasn't going to let that happen. If she kept quiet, he would keep demanding an answer. If she tried to lie, he would probably see right through it and keep pushing the topic. Even if he did fall for the lie, he would just go into the fight and find out anyway. Despite her wishes, Mikoto knew her only option was to come clear.

"He's Yuri," Mikoto whispered.

"What?" Touma asked, not sure he heard her clearly.

"Accelerator is Yuri Suzushina!" Mikoto yelled, "However, he's not the person you once knew! Whatever your journal says about him, none of that is true now! He's changed! He's ruthless and kills the Sisters in cold blood. If he saw you, he probably wouldn't remember you and kill you too! He's not some sweet hearted outcast, he's a power-hungry monster whose participating in the experiment to achieve invincibility. He wants the kind of power that stops people from even thinking about challenging him!"

"… Is that true?" Touma asked quietly.

"Yes," Mikoto whimpered, "Out of everything, that was what I wanted to keep hidden from you the most. I never wanted you to reunite with your old friend like this."

"And that's exactly what he said?" Touma asked again, "He's doing all this so he can get so strong that no one would dare challenge him again?"

"Yes," Mikoto replied, her voice breaking slightly.

"…Your right, it seems he has changed," Touma admitted, "But he's still the same person I knew as a kid."

"What?" Mikoto asked, confused.

* * *

 **A/N: At this point, I would suggest playing "Stand Still" by Yuka Iguchi. Lyrics optional, no nightcore. If you followed my instructions at the begining, this should be simple enough to do.**

* * *

Mikoto could barely believe what she was hearing. Despite everything she told him, Touma still thought Accelerator and Yuri where the same kind of people. It didn't make sense. Whenever Touma talked about him, he always described him as being this shy, distant outcast with a sweet heart. In a single encounter with Accelerator, she knew him as snarky, sadistic, and terrifying. How could Touma possibly see the two as the same person at their core?

"When we where kids, Yuri told me all he ever wanted was for people to stop trying to fight him," Touma explained, "Despite how strong he was, he had very little control over his power and constantly hurt the people around him, pushing them away literally and figuratively. It's part of the reason why we became such good friends. I was the only person he was unable to push away. He probably sees this experiment as his chance to get people to stop trying to fight him. I'm betting that all these years of hurting people have made him desperate. He's already hurt so many people, what's killing twenty thousand to make it all stop?"

"Even after all this, with the condition you're in and what you learned, you still want to fight him?" Mikoto asked in disbelief.

"No. In all honesty, I don't want to fight him," Touma admitted, "but at the very least, this will give me a chance to save him."

"You can't be serious! Please, don't do this!" Mikoto begged, "The cost is already too high, I can't drag you in too! This project has nothing to do with you!"

"That's where you're wrong. This project has everything to do with me. Three of my most precious people have had their peace taken away from them by this experiment, so I'm going to end it and get that peace back."

Touma kneeled down on one knee, looking Mikoto in the eye.

"First, my first friend, who has been pulled into despair in his search for salvation," Touma listed.

'Mama isn't here to make every little problem go away,' Mikoto thought to herself.

"Second, my newest friend, who will die tonight if I don't do anything to stop this experiment."

'Santa stopped making house calls a long time ago.'

"And finally, the girl who poured her heart out and confessed to me that I need to give an answer to," Touma finished with a smile, "who has already sacrificed so much, trying to bare this burden herself."

'But this hero will always come dashing to the rescue,' Mikoto closed her thought in awe.

Reaching into his shirt, Touma pulled out a notebook filled with tabs and paperclips. It was a notebook Mikoto had seen many times before and had even read out of.

"Your journal?" Mikoto asked in confusion.

"Despite what you may think, I'm not that big of an idiot. I very well know that I might die tonight," Touma said, holding the book to Mikoto, "That's why I want you to hold on to it."

"W-why?" Mikoto stuttered, hesitantly taking the journal out of his hands.

"If I die, I want someone to tell the others what happened. Other than the fact that no one else knows about these experiments, I can't think of anyone better to do the job," Touma explained, standing up. "But, it also gives me even more incentive to come back alive. This is definitely something to write down latter."

Mikoto was left speechless. If there was any moment in the time she knew Touma that proved he was a hero, this was it. As he walked away, he paused for a moment, looking back at her.

"I promise, I'm bring your Sister back and save Yuri," Touma declared, "Count on it. Take care to the kitten for me. He's your Sister's. When this is all over, help her decide on a name."

Having said his piece, Touma broke out into a sprint. Checking the time on his ODD bracelet, the next experiment was about to start in less than a minute. He had to hurry before it was too late.

'Wait for me, Yuri,' Touma thought to himself as he ran, 'Just for a bit longer, wait for me.'

As she watched Touma run off, Mikoto clutched his journal to her chest. She began to cry, apparently still having tears after all. She then noticed the kitten was still there, the same one that apparently belonged to one of her Sisters. She coaxed the kitten to come closer, and it did.

"Good boy," she whispered.

* * *

 **So, what did you all think? Did this chapter get you all in the feels? Did the song amplify the attack to the feels? What did you think about that little confession?**

 **I figured the confession was appropriate considering the two have had a much longer history with constant interaction than in canon. It felt natural enough with their expanded history, giving Mikoto a chance to come to terms with her feelings much earlier on. I might be a bit cliche considering it's a love confession just before what is essentially a suicide attempt, but I think it works.**

 **Next chapter is the long awaited fight and reunion between Touma and Yuri/Accelerator. This one might take a bit longer to write. I'm planning on making it a longer chapter, combining the two episodes worth of fighting into a single chapter. I also have lots of changes for the fight planned, so I need to get the choreography organized and catch up on my martial arts research. Hopefully, I will be able to finish the arc within the next few weeks. My family is going for a week long cruise a couple weeks from now, so I might not be able to post during that time.**

 **Until the next chapter is posted, I'll see all of you later. Leave a review if you like and tell me what you think!**


	36. Greatest Extremes

**Here it is, the final battle of the Sisters Arc, re imagined in a special double length chapter. I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long. After the last chapter was a bit hit or miss, I really didn't want to mess this one up. Hopefully, you all think the same. It has all been leading up to this.**

 **Not going to waste your time, just going to get the Q &A done right off the bat.**

 **BakonoftheUnknown: Those were Type-Moon references. Phantasm Carnival was something I created for this story in an original chapter, while also a completely blatant reference.**

 **icedshadows: Glad it melted your heart a little bit. Hopefully, this one does the same.**

 **Bluejack222: That's the thing, they have known each other on a much deeper level for a longer time in this story. Mikoto is going to be more confident about her feelings. Plus, the confession was meant to be rushed, she was going off to die. In she didn't do it then, she'd never get the chance.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked it. Based on your reaction, it looks like a was able to capture the emotion of each scene. I think you're going to enjoy this re-imagined fight.**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, you're right on the mark. Sometimes I get so enthusiastic that I slip up. Working on that.**

 **Kim454: Well, you'll see just how exactly I implement each version of the fight in this re-imagining. Those are some interesting Servant choices. I might actually use some of them if I ever get around to writing that story.**

 **mohamadstar94: Glad you liked the confession.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: Glad you liked the musical selection. It's actually one of my favorite songs in the entirety of the Toaru Soundtrack. I might be able to suggest songs in certain scenes, but can't be certain.**

 **RedSS: YES! Net -1 Sin! That's a Win! Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **5waydragon: Way too advanced for a Judgement Issue Weapon. Upgrades will be made slowly over time, but nothing that advanced so soon.**

 **fencer29: Yeah, it was a bit rushed. My fault. The confession was intended to be rushed considering the situation. The end result might just surprise you.**

 **Guest (1): Glad you liked it.**

 **Guest (2 &3): Glad you liked the chapter. I see you're still optimistic about your favorite series getting included in my Multi Crossover Universe, but try not to get ahead of yourself. I still haven't even decided if I actually going to go through with that plan.**

 **guest (Guest): Yeah, my bad.**

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku: Glad you liked the confession.**

 **Generation Zero: Glad you liked the chapter. I've always seen Touma as smarter than people give him credit for, so I really wanted to show that off. As much as I want to have the fight change up more, a fundamental part of what makes the fight work as both a fight and a plan to stop the experiments is that Touma has no real help from a Level 5. A David vs Goliath fight is the greatest form of overcoming an obstacle, and that's what makes Touma's fights so amazing. Trust me, re-imagine this stuff is no walk in the park. There is so much I need to do to make old stories feel fresh with their additional twists. I think you misinterpreted my MCU. It's not a crossover with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it a Multi Crossover Universe that builds up similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I just gave it the same acronym for shits and giggles.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Don't worry, magic fights will come soon. It's just that a lot of Science Side conflicts have been happening consecutively. Touma's answer might actually surprise you.**

 **SoulReaver267 : I'm glad you liked the confession. Helped to take a lot of the edge off, while sharpening it at the same time. Since the fight is internal as much as it is external, character's thoughts are sure to be expressed in some form or another. Trust me, the ending of this arc will be a dosy.**

 **Guest (4): Yeah, considering the situation, I felt it neccesary to undercut the confession since she's going off to die and nothing would come of it and the comedy helps to take off the edge.**

 **a certain guest (Guest): Yeah, had to make the confession reflect her desperate situation. Actually, the fight goes a bit differently than how you expect it, and I use the term loosely. I won't spoil it, so just sit back an enjoy the show.**

 **GhostofTime: Yup, bumpy ride. No kiss, not yet. That would be rushing it in an inappropriate way.**

 **Aquadude: Good job.**

 **Kami (Guest): Now, I never got a chance to read the novel. However, I am fairly certain that, much like in other adaptations, Touma as just acting. The Invisible Thing did the near-killing. Besides, having a dark side requires you to have a standard light side. Touma is more of a Lawful Neutral, doing what he believes is right, regardless of what others would think. He's not inherently good or evil.**

 **Chroma (Guest): Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The ship doesn't sail until it raises anchor. All I've done so far is lower the sail.**

 **Successful World Is A Nice Rel: Oh, it's going to be interesting.**

 **RPGPersona: I can see your concerns. I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. Like I've said before, changing character dynamics is the biggest goal of this story. All these changes are attributed to the expanded history I've given all the characters. Well, I still have about a week, so I might be able to get the conclusion out before then.**

 **And that's all of them. Man, something must have been screwing the at the time I approved so of those Guest reviews, cause they all showed up twice! Well, no dwelling on that. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 36: Greatest Extremes

The time and date were 8:25 pm on August 21. The weather was calm, and the sky was clear. Even with the polluting light of Academy City's urban light, the moon shone as brightly as ever, casting its reflected light over the empty trainyard. Misaka 10032 was all alone in the trainyard, keeping a steady pace as she walked through.

"The time is 8:25 by my clock," a voice called over from above, "You're a few minutes early."

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Misaka saw Accelerator sitting on top of one of the many shipping containers in the trainyard. He sat there completely relaxed with his leg crossed over the other. He was simply waiting for the appropriate time to take action. It was only the 10032nd time he was doing all of this.

"So, I take it you have no objection to being my next target for this experiment?" Accelerator asked, almost sounding like he wanted to hear a negative response.

"No," the Sister replied instantly, "I am Misaka serial number 10032, Misaka identifies herself. Before we begin, wouldn't it be wise if you confirm my password to make sure I am part of the experiment? MIsaka responsibly advises."

Accelerator couldn't help but click his tongue in frustration.

'Always the same thing,' he thought to himself, 'Besides, what good is a password when everything about them screams being part of the experiment?'

"Honestly, I hate to question you when you're so diligently performing your role in an experiment to increase my power, but you strike me as unnaturally relaxed, given the situation," Accelerator noted, "You sure your mind isn't occupied with something else?"

'Just answer differently for once, would you?' Accelerator quietly begged.

"The phrase 'something else' is too vague for me to comprehend, Misaka replies to some confusion," the girl replied simply, "Three minutes and twenty seconds until the experiment is scheduled to begin. Are you ready? Misaka inquires, seeking confirmation."

'Of course that's her response,' Accelerator thought to himself, 'It always is.'

Since the beginning of the experiments, Accelerator has always started with a little prebattle banter, just to see how the Sisters would respond. Every time, it was the same. They would accept their fates wholeheartedly. They never rejected, never rebelled, never tried to escape. They just fought in the sense that the experiment required them too for a few minutes before he inevitably killed them. It was getting old. They appeared human and Testament gave them human minds, but they always acted like windup dolls, just like the researchers described them. For once, Accelerator wished they would react in a remotely human way.

"I don't think I'll ever understand how you could be so willing to throw your life away," the boy mused, "My life is more important to me than anything else in the world, which is why my desire for greater power will never disappear or diminish, so it doesn't matter if I've killed ten or ten thousand in this experiment. As long as I'm getting stronger, your deaths are nothing to me. I'll laugh away each kill."

"You say you can not understand Misaka, but Misaka also finds your behavior confusing, Misaka replies honestly. You are the strongest Level 5 in Academy City. You are in a position where nobody else can touch you, so there is no need for you to become more powerful, Misaka states reasonably."

Just like the Sister said, her analysis was based entirely on reason. Hard reason, the kind that a computer would follow. No loopholes, no exceptions, just a conclusion based on purely logical thinking. Of course, humans didn't think like that, Accelerator knew this for a fact. People had known he was the strongest since he was a kid. They knew this, but they still challenged him on the delusion that they had a chance at winning. If chaos theory was to be believed, everything was bound to happen at some point, no matter how improbable it was. It's why humans take chances. They bet on chaos theory to have them be that one instance that the improbable happens.

However, a computer didn't operate like that. While it did consider chaos theory, it disregarded the illogical improbabilities. The Sister in front of him believed that since he was the strongest, Accelerator had no need for extra power since it would be illogical to challenge him with such a small chance of success. She knew this better than anyone, having memories of 10031 other deaths at his hands. The only reason she took the illogical path was because she was created for the sole purpose of doing so. She did not realize that other people have tried to fight him and failed miserably because they put their faith in an impossible outcome.

"The strongest, huh?" Acclerator mused, "Yeah, that's true, but how did people arrive at that evaluation of me? They call me the strongest Level 5 because they tried to fight me and got beat. That's the basis for my classification right there. I'm at the top of the heap because a bunch of dimwits thought to themselves, 'Hey, I think I'll pick a fight with that guy, it will be fun to see what he can really do.' Well, that's not good enough, not even close. I've got bigger plans for myself. That level of power is significant! The level of power I'm after goes a step beyond that! I don't what people to think fighting me would an interesting challenge, I want the very idea of fighting me to be unthinkable!"

"One minute and thirty seconds until the start of the experiment," Misaka noted, "Are you certain that you are ready to begin? Misaka asks, seeking confirmation."

Accelerator could only sigh in exasperation. The Sister never where very talkative.

"I figured we'd chat a little before we got to it, but you're just hopeless," he complained as he stood up, "There's no point in trying to hold a normal conversation with you."

He jumped down from the top of the stack of shipping containers, using his power to negate the recoil he would have felt from falling such a height.

"Okay then, are you ready? It's almost time for you to die," Acclerator asked, "you substandard factory reject."

If Misaka had been hurt by the harsh words, she didn't or couldn't let it show on her face.

"The time is 8:29:41. We will now commence trial number 10032. Will test subject Accelerator please take his position, Misaka instructs politely?"

The girl lowered her goggles over her head, preparing for combat. Taking a single step, Accelerator amplified and redirected the vectors that determined his motion and rushed forward at a breakneck pace. Acting quickly, the Sister dodged to her left, attempting to zap her opponent with a mild electric shock as he flew past her. The shock did nothing, simply reflecting off his body and into the ground. She then jumped backwards in an attempt to put some more distance between the two of them, firing another, larger shock at him. The result was the same. The shock was simply redirected to the ground surrounding him.

"What's the point with all this running around?" Accelerator asked as he ran to close the distance, shrugging off all further attacks, "It doesn't matter how much time you try to buy yourself, no miracle is coming to save you!"

Once again, the Sister tried to fire a shock, only to have it reflected away. Using whatever magnetism she could muster, Misaka jumped on top of a small stack of shipping containers, doing her best to keep some distance between her and Acclerator.

"Have you noticed?" Misaka asked from atop the containers, "Tonight, the wind is a zero miles per hour."

Accelerator was about to disregard the comment but stopped when he noticed the smell in the air. It smelt foreign and toxic, like something that normally wouldn't be in the lower atmosphere. He then thought back to all the shocks she was sending his way and how they could have interacted with the air. Oxygen was rather plentiful near sea level, it was necessary for the type of life that lived on the planet. However, not all forms of oxygen are safe to breath. With a little electron manipulation through electricity, it would be possible to take the oxygen that is normally inhaled and convert it into a much deadlier form, especially when no wind was present to shift the particle around.

"Oh, I get it," Accelerator realized, covering his nose and mouth, "You're breaking apart the oxygen in the air with electricity and turning it into ozone, hoping I would pass out from the lack of breathable oxygen. Cleaver girl!"

Misaka took off running, clearly not keen on sticking around now that her plan had been exposed. Accelerator and her both knew dealing with the ozone problem was a simple as incapacitating her, something Accelerator could easily do once he got a hold of her.

Giving chase, Accelerator took a single step and glided over the surface of the ground, easily catching up to and keeping pace with the running Sister. Now within striking range, the Level 5 threw a modified punch at the clone, sending her flying off her feet. She landed harshly on the ground, getting torn up as she rolled to a was a simple application of his power, but an effective one. All he did was redirect all resulting forces of the punch in one direction, out, so that Misaka took all the forces that where normally divided among all members of the collision.

"Hey, come on! Aren't you guys supposed to be mentally linked or something?" Accerator asked as he approached the fallen, bleeding Sister, "I gave one of your buddies a big hit during the last experiment. Shouldn't you have had time to learn from it by now?"

As the Level 5 approached, the Sister laid there on the ground, helplessly awaiting her demise. She was all out of moves and was heavily injured from only a single attack. There was nothing else she could do but await for death 10032. However, that death never came.

"Hey, we have a visitor," Accelerator noted, looking off to the side, "How do you suppose that plays into everything?"

Following his gaze, Misaka was completely shocked at what she saw. Standing no more than a couple meters away was Touma Kamijou. He was panting heavily and leaning on a nearby shipping container. He looked to be completely tired, both from his lack of breath and his ragged, injured body. However, despite all this, he held a steely, determined gaze.

"It's you…" the Sister whispered, "What are you doing here?"

Not happy by the turn of events, Accelerator pressed his foot against Misaka's head, grinding it into the ground.

"What, are you inviting members of the general public to our testing sites now?" Accelerator asked through his teeth, "That's irritating. You see, I didn't budget any time into silencing outsiders if they discovered our secret."

"Step away from her," Touma growled.

"What the hell?" Accelerator whispered in confusion, "Did you say something?"

He could hardly believe what was happening. Sure lots of people have been ballsy enough to challenge him to fights, but this person in front of him was completely different. Touma approached Accelerator without even a hit of hesitating, all the while he was making demands.

"Step away now," Touma demanded, clutching his fist, "Get away from Misaka's Sister! I mean it, get away from her this instant, Yuri!"

For a moment, everything was silent. Accelerator had stopped grinding his foot into the Sister's head and only stared at the boy in front of him. He looked at Touma straight in the eye, coming off as both aloof and confused.

"Who the hell is Yuri?" he asked simply, "And what's with all the demands you're making? There are seven Level 5s, and I am undeniably the strongest. You must have quite the set if you think you can stand there and make demands like that to me."

"I'm sick of repeating myself!" Touma yelled, shoving the fact that Accelerator didn't recognize his own name to the side, "Get the hell away from her!"

"Oh yeah? I have to admit, you're intriguing," Accelerator replied, "However, instead of me getting away from her, how about I get her away from me?"

Without any other warning, Accelerator tapped his foot against the Sister's stomach. Amplifying the vectors of momentum behind his kick, he launched the girl high into the air. If she hit the ground in her condition with how far she was flying, she would surely be put in far worse shape than she already was in.

Reacting quickly, Touma dashed under the airborne girl, reading her trajectory to predict her landing. Just before she landed, Touma jumped forward and grabbed her in his arms. He then turned his body midfall, landing on his back and cushioning her decent. His back hurt like hell after taking the full force of their combined fall on to the gravel ground. However, that didn't matter to Touma at the moment. He was just glad he managed to catch his friend.

"That was a close one," Touma remarked to himself.

Holding the girl close, Touma noticed something warm and wet on his left hand. Upon inspecting said hand, he was horrified by what exactly he was feeling. It was blood, Misaka's blood. His gaze then shifted to Accelerator, who only smirked at the display of self-sacrificial heroism Touma just enacted. Even after seeing the boy in front of him for himself, Touma could hardly believe what had happened to his first and best friend.

'Yuri,' Touma thought to himself, 'What did they put you through to turn you into this?'

"What is this?" Misaka asked, breaking Touma away from his thoughts, "What in the world are you doing here? Misaka asks in utter shock. Why would you take such a risk for somebody like Misaka? As long as the necessary chemicals and equipment are available, Misakas can be manufactured with the touch of a button. The bodies are fabricated and filled with fabricated minds. The process has been repeated many times. There are still 9968 untouched units for use. For the sake of a laboratory rat, yo-"

"I don't care," Touma cut her off, setting the injured girl on the ground, "Manufactured or not, it doesn't matter to me. And you're more than just a bunch of chemicals now. After all, you're still the only one of you in the whole world, right? That's why I came here. Sorry, but you aren't going to be dying, not today. You still have accounts to settle."

As Touma walked away to face Accelerator, the Sister tried to get up in a desperate attempt to stop him. However, her injuries got the better of her, keeping her on the ground and pulling her into subconsciousness.

"He'll kill you… says… Misa… ka," the clone said weakly as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Nice speech. Did you come up with that just now, or have you been practicing?" Accelerator asked mockingly.

"Do they ever give you a day off?" Touma replied, not feeling like humoring his opponent/friend.

"Huh?" Accelerator responded.

"Earlier tonight, in that back alley," Touma clarified.

"Oh, you saw the work I did there, huh?" Accelerator realized, "Blood flow manipulation, my first time too. Hell of a performance, don't you think? I mean, who knew there was that much blood pumping through a person? Ha, but windup dolls aren't people, right?"

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Touma asked dangerously, "Is that the illusion you pull over your eyes every time you take one of their lives? I've known you since we were kids, I know for a fact that you never liked hurting people. People told you your power was a gift but you saw it as a curse, a flame constantly luring in moths for you to unwillingly inflict pain on. Yet here you are, killing these girls one by one and reveling in it. Is that what changed?! Did you just decided that just because they were born in a tank, they weren't human?! Is that what convinced you it was okay to kill them?! That's not the Yuri Suzushina that I knew growing up! I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to! I'll do whatever it takes to stop these experiments and shatter your messed up illusion!"

If Accelerator was being honest, he had no idea what the boy in front of him was talking about. He didn't recognize the boy in front of him at all, yet he claimed they knew each other since they were kids. And what was with all the talk about illusions and the clones being people? They were manufactured windup dolls. That wasn't some illusion he told himself in self-doubt, that was a hundred percent fact. Those where the researchers' words, not his. If the creators of the clones couldn't be trusted to know what they made, then who could. They certainly had more merit then this stranger in front of him.

Still, Accelerator would be lying if he wasn't at least a bit suspicious about the boy. Against all odds, he somehow knew things about his past that only Accelerator would know, albeit twisted from how he remembered them. Things like his power drawing in opponents with the temptation of status certainly checked out, but everything else was different. As far as he was concerned, those idiots who challenged him were nobodies. He didn't care what happened to them when the tried to fight. The magnitude of his power was less of a curse and more of an annoyance.

There was also the matter of the boy's intentions. Did he honestly think he could stop the experiments? The only way he could do that is if he messed with some part of the calculations that started the experiments in the first place. How was confronting him going to mess with those calculations? And even if this confrontation did mess with the calculations, Tree Diagram could always just push out another set of them. Not only that, but his methods were hypocritical as well. He didn't want to fight, but he was willing to do so if that's what it took. Did this boy even know who Accelerator was? If you don't at least confront him with the resolve to fight, you are going to die very quickly. It was just simple fact.

Finally, there was this boy's hair. For some reason, that hair seemed awfully familiar to him despite how outlandish it was. It looked like something from a manga or anime. A hairdo like that in real life had to be one in a million, even with the common hair color. Of course, this was coming from the guy with naturally white hair as a result of his power reflecting radiation and negating his need for pigmentation. Still, despite how uncommon the hairstyle was, Accelerator swore he saw it somewhere before.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Accelerator finally asked in a bored tone.

"I'll show you right here!" Touma replied as he charged in blindly.

As his opponent charged in practically suicidal attack, Accelerator couldn't help but smirk in amusement. Just before Touma could close the distance between them, Accelerator kicked up a large among of gravel with the tap of his foot. The gravel forced Touma back, with a few particularly large pieces nailing him in the stomach and face.

"Oh man, you're slow!" Accelerator yelled as he kicked up another flurry of gravel.

The resulting explosion of gravel knocked Touma even farther away form Accelerator. He rolled across the hard ground for a few seconds before stopping with a thud. It was the kind of attack that would have most people screaming in terror and running for their lives. However, being Touma Kamijou, he did not scream, nor did he run. He simply picked himself off the ground, trying to shake away the pain. Seeing that his opponent wasn't going to quit yet, Accelerator decided to give him one last chance to reconsider his decision to fight.

"Seriously, this is pathetic," Accelerator taunted as he walked towards a nearby train track rail.

With the tap of his foot, he forced several dozen railroad spikes out of the ground, releasing the rail. He then forced a large portion of the rail to stand upright at his feet, bringing it to the perfect position for his next attack.

"It that's the best that you can do, you don't stand a chance in hell," Accelerator mused as he tapped the rail with the back of his hand.

With a single tap, the rail began to bend in several places. Each bend appeared almost instantly, one after another, until the rail was nothing but a giant, crooked, piece of metal. As soon as the final bend was made, the rail pulled itself out of the ground and hurled towards Touma. Acting quickly, Touma barely managed to roll out of the way of the attack. However, Accelerator was one step ahead, already launching another rail. The second rail managed to actually hit Touma, cutting through his left side, but otherwise leaving him unharmed.

Even then, about half a dozen more rails came raining down on him, all with the intent to kill. The rails all landed at the same time, kicking up a massive dust cloud around Touma. Miraculously, he managed to dodge all of them by a hair, managing to find that sweet spot where he would not be harmed. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Touma knew he had to put some distance between them. Using the dust cloud as cover, Touma ran into the maze of shipping containers.

* * *

Back on the bridge, Mikoto simply sat in the middle of the road, her only company being the kitten that apparently belonged to one of her Sisters. She just sat there with her thoughts, thinking back at her confrontation with Touma, clutching his journal close to her chest.

'I couldn't stop him,' she thought to herself, 'I tried, but I failed at that too. I couldn't keep the truth about Yuri from him. Instead, I told him the truth myself to try to sway him away from going, but it just spurred him along, saying he would save him along with everyone else. It seems impossible, but I wouldn't put it past him to do something everyone considered impossible. That's just the kind of person he is. Of course, the odds are stacked against him, just like every other time.'

Looking down at the journal in her hands, Mikoto opened it up and flipped through the pages until she came across Yuri Suzushina's profile. Seeing the childhood photo at the top of the page, Mikoto's heart ached at the thought of how much had changed between them in their separation. It just didn't seem fair that Touma's dearest friend was ripped away from him and twisted into such a monster. Averting her eyes from the photo, Mikoto skimmed down the various notes until she found what she was looking for. At the very end of Yuri's profile was proof of Touma's claims before he left.

'Yuri Suzushina had always been an incredibly powerful Esper,' Mikoto read in her head, 'Upon receiving his first System Scan, he was ranked a Level 3, and quickly progressed to Level 4, despite being so young. Researchers speculated he might be able to reach Level 5 with some more intensive training. However, his level is more of reflection of his raw power, rather than his control. Since the day I met him, he has never had the best control of his ability, constantly hurting people on accident because of his automatic reflection skill. My right hand is the only thing that has ever managed to get past it. He told me he wished there was some way he could get people to stop challenging him to fights. Maybe then, no one would have to get hurt anymore.'

Mikoto couldn't help but laugh slightly at what she had read.

'So, he was telling the truth after all.'

Looking towards the black kitten left with her, Mikoto realized something that seemed familiar about it. She had meet this kitten before, back when she first learned about her Sisters.

"Hey kitty, have we met?" Mikoto asked, picking up the kitten in her arms, "Was that you stuck up that tree?"

The kitten simply meowed.

"Sorry about that," Mikoto apologized, "It's kind of difficult to tell you apart, you know?"

'Like the sisters,' Mikoto mused in her head, 'They all look the same on the outside, but each one is unique with her own life that's separate from the others, even with their shared memory. They're people.'

Looking at the kitten, Mikoto felt like he was agreeing with her. Even if the cat was just a young animal, it appeared to be a rather smart animal.

"There's a reason I can't leave this to anyone else," she decided, "Saving Yuri from himself is Kamijou's responsibility. My responsibility is saving my Sisters."

The kitten meowed, as if to agree with her.

"Let's go."

* * *

Even with his head start thanks to the dust cloud, Touma still found himself struggling to keep some distance between him and Accelerator. While Touma had to run through the maze of shipping containers, he couldn't hide since the Level 5 could easily kick the containers away and make a shortcut. In hindsight, running into such a maze was the same as locking himself in a cage in front of a shooting squad. With his luck, Touma was sure that at least one of those containers would fall on him, even if Accelerator wasn't actively aiming for him.

If he wanted to get out of the maze alive and keep ahead, Touma had to think outside the box when it came to his movement. Thankfully, the walls and cliffs formed by the variously sized stacks of shipping containers made for a perfect free running course. Thanks to his many years of running away from angered gangs and his more recent weeks of running after convicts in Judgement, Touma had developed so rather impressive parkour skills, and this maze of shipping containers the perfect place to show them off.

Turning a corner, Touma found himself face to face with a dead-end. However, the wall of that dead end was only a single shipping container tall. Running at full speed, he ran along the wall, slowing ascending with each step. Once he reached the dead-end shipping container, he grabbed the top the container and pulled himself up. Touma repeated this same process with each dead-end he ran into until he had gone up as high as the containers were stacked. Continuing to run, he looked back to see Accelerator had jumped up on top of the containers as well through his vector manipulation.

"Trying to get the high ground, are you?" Accelerator taunted, "I have to admit, those were some pretty impressive moves."

Not caring to reply, Touma continued to run. When he came across one of the gaps in the shipping container maze on the ground, he long jumped across, trying his best to keep his pace. When faced with a single shipping container high drop, Touma simply fell in stride with his run, doing a PK Roll to minimize the impact and keep his momentum going. Occationally, if a gap was too wide, he would use his ODD as a vaulting pole to help him across. Using his various self-taught free running techniques, Touma was able to keep a fair distance between him and Accelerator, all without the use of an ability.

However, that did not mean that the chase was easy. Thanks to his vector manipulations, Accelerator was able to move the individual shipping containers with the tap of his foot, no matter how far away it was. He would uplift containers Touma was standing on, forcing him to run off as soon as possible to avoid being catapulted out of the train yard. Accelerator would also cut off Touma's path by removing or dropping shipping containers in front of him, forcing the Level 0 to either make a last minute long jump over or make a sharp turn, occasionally using added containers to wall run and make the turn more free-flowing.

Eventually, seeing that these simple attacks were not cutting it, Acclerator decided to go ham and collapse the entire stack of shipping containers they were standing on. With a tap of his foot, he forced all of the bottom most shipping containers at one side of the stack out of place, causing the stack to fall in an avalanche with Touma still on top. Acting accordingly, Touma jumped, slid, and ran from container to container, trying his best to avoid being crushed by the avalanche of metal. When he reached the ground, he had stumbled and fell less than gracefully. The contents of one of the containers spilled, coating the area in a cloud of wheat flour.

'Something's wrong,' Accelerator thought to himself as he watched Touma struggle to catch his breath, 'We've been at this for a while, and he has yet to use an ability. Instead, he pulls out some high tech collapsing pole to help him fight. Could he be…?'

"Hey, by any chance, could you happen to be a non-Esper?" Accelerator asked, effortlessly climbing over the wreckage, "The way you showed up and started trash talking, I thought you must have some rank, but now I'm starting to think I was wrong. You're the smallest fry there is, aren't you? No… actually, regular small fry wouldn't have access to non-lethal Academy City weapons like you do. No, you're the largest of small fry, Judgement's Certain Strange Addition. You possession of that weapon says it all. An impressive Level 0, but still a Level 0."

'I don't like this,' he thought to himself as Touma returned a determined glare, 'There have been an innumerable number of misguided idiots to challenge me to fight in the delusional hope of claiming top-dog status. There's always a moment, usually after losing an eye or a limb, that they realize their mistake. Their faces contort in realization of agony and terror. And then, there's this guy. He's completely unyielding. He's already taken a few bad hits and he's still challenging me. He still has the same determination he had when this fight started, maybe even more so. What does he hope to accomplish?'

"Come on, you must know by now that I'm exponentially stronger than you, even with your little weapon. Of course, if you want to die that badly, I'll happily comply and blow you to pieces. You see that container over there?" Accelerator said, pointing to the opened shipping container of flour, "Looks like there was flour in it. There's no wind tonight, either. It's perfectly calm. That can turn this into a really dangerous situation."

With the tap of his foot, Accelerator launched one of the other shipping containers high into the air. Based on it's trajectory, it could be predicted that it would scrape against one of the other containers before hitting the ground, potentially causing a spark. Touma had a bad feeling about what Accelerator had planned.

"Hey, Third String," Accelerator called out, "Ever heard of something called a dust explosion?"

His fears confirmed, Touma began running in the opposite direction in a desperate attempt to escape the predicted blast. Even he knew he could not out run an explosion. Thankfully, had quickly formulated a plan to save himself. Grabbing his ODD, Touma threw it with all his might at his opponent while it was in its collapsed form. As soon as the weapon collided with Accelerator, it was immediately reflected back at Touma with just as much momentum as it had on impact. Despite the near suicidal appearance of this move, everything was going exactly how Touma planned it. With ODD now rushing towards him, Touma made a final leap forward and turned his body to face his incoming weapon. Just before it reached him, he reached out his left hand and remotely commanded his ODD to return to said hand at max speed. All of this happened within the time it took for ODD to be reflected back at Touma.

With the thrusters and Accelerator moving ODD in the same direction, the momentum was compounded as it collided with Touma's hand. The total momentum was far greater than what is meant to be caught by a single, human hand, and with no resistance on Touma's part, it was enough to launching him through the open fields of the train yard.

By the skin of he's teeth, Touma managed to outrun the massive dust explosion created by Accelerator. However, he did not go unscathed. Despite not actually caught in the explosion, he was still struck by the resulting shockwave and thrown against a shipping container. In addition, the force exerted on his left hand was far more intense and concentrated than what it was used to. His hand was left sore and he might have even cracked a few bones in it. Not to mention the force of ODD flying at him at an exaggerated rate added to his impact with the shipping container.

'Going to have to add that in the next ODD prototype report,' Touma thought to himself, 'Left hand needs protection from recall function.'

Focusing again on his opponent, Touma watched in mild disbelief as Accelerator walked out of the flames of the dust explosion, completely unscathed. He knew Accelerator was the strongest in Academy City, but he was really starting to push that title.

"Yup, dust explosions are pretty nasty," Accelerator mused nonchalantly, "Next time I do that, I got to remember not to put myself in the middle of it. Nearly suffocated from the lack of oxygen. I always thought I could survive a nuclear warhead, but now I might have to reconsider."

Touma simply stood himself upright, once again giving his opponent a determined glare.

"So, you're still going to fight me, even now?" Accelerator asked, annoyed.

"Of course I'm still going to fight," Touma declared, "This experiment has caused nothing but pain and suffering for the people that I care about! I'll do whatever it takes to stop it, even if it means fighting the very people I intend to save!"

The strongest and the weakest simply stared at one another in the midst of the flames. One stared out of confusion and bewilderment, the other out of determination.

* * *

A few blocks away, Mikoto was still running towards the trainyard, her Sister's kitten snuggly in her arms. Even from that distance, the dust explosion Accelerator had set off. The thought of Touma getting caught in such an attack horrified her. All she wanted for him was to stay out of the situation, yet her follies and his determination put him in the dead center of it.

Looking down in her arms, she noticed how innocent the kitten looked. Even if his owner was scheduled to die tonight, there was no need for him to get involved as well. Mikoto wasn't going to let another bystander get dragged in.

"Sorry," Mikoto apologized as she set the kitten down on the street, "but I can't drag you into all of this too."

Saying goodbye, Mikoto once again took off sprinting, clutching Touma's notebook close to her chest. It didn't matter to her if her Level 5 status made Touma's plan less effective. She was getting him out of it no matter what it takes.

* * *

"In a way, you're lucky you don't have any Esper ability," Accelerator mused, "My reflection skill doesn't work so well on someone so weak. Strange as it is, you've done pretty well so far. You're still alive, and considering I'm your opponent, that's a miracle."

"You of all people should know that's not true," Touma replied, "Like I told you before, I've known you since we were kids. You of all people should know how unlucky I am. You've seen my rotten luck first hand. It's not exactly something that's easy to forget. Just end quit the act already! This needs to end, now!"

Accelerator clicked his tongue in frustration. There this boy was going again, talking about how well they knew each other despite the fact Accelerator didn't recognize him at all.

"You know, for once, I agree with you. This does need to end," Accelerator growled, "I'm getting bored of your constant babbling and this game of cat and mouse, so let's end this! Pick a hand, any hand. It doesn't matter which one touches you. With either one, I can reverse your blood flow, resulting in a messy death. So, which will it be? The left hand?"

Accelerator stepped forward.

"The right hand?"

He took another step forward.

"Or both!"

With very little warning, Accelerator rushed at Touma with both hands stretched out, already making the choice for his unlucky victim. However, Touma had taken a fighting stance and had made his choice of hand long before the fight even started. It was an obvious choice for him, just like always. He chose the right hand, just not Accelerator's.

Just as Accelerator was about to reach Touma, a loud crack was heard that echoed through the trainyard. The next thing he knew, Accelerator was staring at something he never thought he would during a fight.

'The moon? Why am I look at the moon for?' Accelerator thought to himself in utter confusion.

Looking around, he realized that he was flat on his back, lying on the ground. Picking himself up, Accelerator then noticed Touma standing in once piece a few meters in front of him like he had just thrown a punch. Just a second ago, the two were face-to-face, but now there was a large gap between then. Touching his face, Accelerator noticed the most unbelievable detail about his predicament. He was hurt, in pain, and bleeding out his nose.

"What the hell happened here!" Accelerator yelled in outrage.

'He knocked me on my ass! Me! If he did that, his arm should be broken!' Accelerator thought in a burst of anger and confusion, 'How could he even touch me?! It's just not possible!'

Looking up, Accelerator saw that Touma had stepped in range for what could only be close quarters combat. Standing up, he wiped the blood from his face, laughing in denial.

'I must have focused everything in my hands, shutting down the reflection around the rest of me,' Accelerator reasoned, 'Damn, what an idiotic move!'

"Impressive," Accelerator laughed, "No, I mean it. That was good. A solid hit! I'll give you that, you really nailed me, but now…!"

Acting out of anger, Accelerator flung his right hand straight at Touma, fully intending to kill him. However, the right hand of a Level 5 was redirected by the right hand of Imagine Breaker, negating the Esper ability and rendering it harmless. In a single swift motion, Touma pushed the hand aside and pulled back his own fist. Before Accelerator knew it, the fist came rocketing into his face.

"Snap out of it already," Touma yelled as his fist flew, "Yuri!"

Falling victim the Judgement's Certain Strange Addition's right hook, Accelerator was slammed into the ground once again. This time, Mikoto was just outside the trainyard's fence, able to the act for herself.

She could hardly believe it. Not only was Touma fighting and going on the offensive against the strongest Esper in Academy City, he was fighting the person he considered his best friend, even to this day. It was laughably hypocritical. He refused to fight her to stop her from fighting Accelerator herself, yet he just punched his best friend in the face in an attempt to save him from his own hell. Mikoto wasn't entirely sure how she should take that. Then again, the circumstances where different, with fighting Accelerator being a necessary evil.

Picking himself off the ground, Accelerator started getting desperate. Letting his anger take control, lunged at Touma again, trying his best to land his single, instant-kill touch. However, Touma intercepted him with a right palm strike to the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Touma followed up by grabbing Accelerator's shirt and pulling him in close, opening the opportunity for a knee to the stomach. The knee pushed Accelerator back again, giving him a bit of breathing room.

His anger still rising, Accelerator attempted another charge, this time aiming for Touma's left side. At the very least, he could tell that something wasn't normal. Something about it was preventing him from using his ability. More unsettlingly, something about how the hand felt seemed familiar. It was like he had felt the same sensation before, albeit gentler. However, he couldn't quite remember where he felt the sensation.

On paper, Accelerator's plan to aim for Touma's left was solid. If he could put a little bit of distance between him and that right hand, he could get enough time to land his one-hit kill blow. However, Touma recognized this and reacted accordingly. With a slight stumble in his footwork, Touma sidestepped to the right, orbiting counter clockwise around Accelerator as Level 5 flew past the Level 0. Touma then grabbed Accelerator's right side with his right hand, quickly following it up with his left hand on Accelerator's left side. Using his opponent's momentum against him, Touma spun Accelerator around 180 degrees and threw him against a shipping container with a crash.

His anger approaching it limit, Accelerator charged again, only for Touma to jump back and avoid his attack.

"Damn you, stop moving!" Accelerator cried.

His only response was another right hook to the face.

"What the hell is with your right hand, huh?!" Accelerator yelled before receiving an upper cut to the gut.

His anger was really starting to boil now.

"Don't get cocky, Third String!" Accelerator screamed as he stomped his foot, creating a small explosion of gravel at Touma's feet.

Finally able to get a hit in, Accelerator couldn't help but smirk as he saw his opponent start to fall on the ground. However, that smug quickly turned into one of horror when he saw that Touma was still conscious and raring to go. Faster than Accelerator thought was humanly possible, Touma swung himself up from near ground level and slammed his right palm into Accelerator's chin. Touma then grabbed Accelerator by the face and slammed him into a shipping container, pressing his own left arm over his opponent's chest, pinning him to the wall.

"You should never have gotten involved with this. So many Sisters living the best they can. They use up all their strength, just to fight you. They deserve better! They're living beings, not animals to be used in some inhuman experiment!" Touma yelled, "And so are you! You don't deserve to be put through! You shouldn't have to trade lives. You shouldn't have to kill twenty thousand just to scare the other seven billion. Just help me end these experiments now and you don't have to kill or hurt anyone anymore! Please, I'm begging you, Yuri, I don't what to have to fight you!"

Despite his face currently being covered, Accelerator let out a growl. Who did this guy think he was? He was Accelerator, the undisputed strongest Esper in Academy City. Yet, this guy kept knocking him down, making him bleed, throwing him to the side, making him look like a total joke. They say that if you could make God bleed, people will stop believing in him. If people thought it was possible to beat him, they would never stop trying to achieve it. Losing to this guy would make his goal for invincibility all the more unattainable. You couldn't be invincible if you could be defeated.

However, what angered him most of all was how the person in front of him was talking. The entire time they were fighting, his opponent acted like he knew what who Accelerator was on a personal level. He claimed they were friends. He claimed Accelerator never wanted to hurt anyone. He claimed Accelerator had delusions about the Sisters and Project Level 6 Shift that needed to be shattered. It was nothing but crap coming from his mouth. However, the thing he hated the most was how this person kept calling him "Yuri". He didn't like it at all. He needed this person to stop talking.

Mustering what ever physical strength he had without his ability, Accelerator lifted his foot and pressed it against Touma's chest.

"Stop talking!" Accelerator yelled, kicking Touma off of him.

Now free, Accelerator stomped on the ground and backflipped over and behind the shipping container he was just pinned against. Upon landing, he modified the vectors from his impact, causing all of shipping containers in the immediate area to fly into the air. Seeing this, Touma knew there was only one way the situation could end.

Just as quickly as they were thrown up, the multitude of shipping containers came plummeting back down to the ground. Touma scrambled for dear life, trying his hardest not to get crushed under the several hundred tons of metal falling from the sky. Upon impact, the containers crumpled and kicked up dust, covering the trainyard in a dust cloud. The dust was so thick Accelerator actually lost track of Touma inside of it. Meanwhile, Touma hid behind one of the many destroyed shipping containers that were scattered across the field and hidden inside the dust cloud surrounding Accelerator.

"What's wrong, Third String? Have nothing else to say?" Accelerator taunted, "We were just having such an engaging conversation! Don't tell me you decided to be quiet just because I asked!"

Using the field to his advantage, Touma quietly snuck around Accelerator, using the dust cloud and the shipping containers as cover. As soon as he was a safe distance away, Touma took his ODD and tossed it over to another shipping container. The multipurpose weapon stuck the metal box and created a subtle clang, alerting Accelerator to Touma's supposed location.

"There you are!" Accelerator yelled as stomped on the ground.

The vibrations from that stomp were amplified tenfold, creating a massive gravel explosion that would have torn anybody to shreds. In the loud commotion that followed, Touma quickly circled Accelerator from behind the dust cloud and shipping containers until the Level 5 was positioned between ODD and its owner. He was in the perfect position to make his move.

With a single thought, Touma commanded ODD to return to his left hand. The weapon's thrusters flared, and it propelled itself towards Touma along the shortest path, the one with Accelerator in the way. Anyone who knew where Touma was could tell that the weapon was using its recall function. However, to someone like Accelerator, who had wrongly assumed Touma's location, it looked like Touma had thrown the weapon at him from behind the dust cloud. When the ODD collided with Accelerator, it was harmlessly reflected away by his automatic defense.

"Seriously?! That was you're big play?!" Accelerator laughed, "I know all you have is a stick and some weird right hand, but you could have at least tried something a bit more effective, Third Stri-"

Accelerator had taken the bait, and he paid the price for it. Before he could finish his sentence, Touma rushed out of the dust cloud from behind him and punched him in the back of the head. The punch was more than enough to catch Accelerator's attention, turning him around to properly face his opponent. Unfortunately, this only lined him up for a second punch from Touma, straight at his face, knocking him on to the ground. Touma was left standing above him, nonchalantly returning his ODD to his left hand.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down," Touma explained, "Your defeat will mean the end of the experiment. You and the rest of the remaining Sisters will be freed from this cycle of death. I promise, I'm make it up to you in some way, Yuri."

Having said his piece, Touma turned around and started to walk away. He didn't like it, but he did what he had to do to stop the experiments. It wasn't the reunion he wanted to have with Yuri, but it was the best he could get with his rotten luck. At the very least, his defeat might give him another chance to escape the constant cycle of violence his power trapped him in. For now, everything was over. Unfortunately, Touma couldn't have been any more wrong. As he walked away, he was oblivious to Accelerator's anger reaching its peak.

'We know each other? He doesn't want to fight? They're alive? What is he talking about? I've never met him before in my life. Anyone who isn't from a lab just wants to fight me to prove something. The Sisters are just windup dolls, just like the researchers said,' Accelerator growled in his head, 'I need power. The power to make him stop saying this stuff. No, more! I need the dominion over reason and rules that comes from absolute power!'

As Touma walked away, he felt a sudden strong guest of wind slam into his right side. Turning around, he saw Accelerator still lying on the ground with his arm held in the air. He was chanting some sort of gibbering, becoming more vocal and erratic with each sound he made. As his voice picked up, so did the wind as it circled around him, becoming strong enough to make Touma lose his footing and fall on the ground. Acting quickly, Touma took out his ODD and transformed into a triple spiked claw, essentially the head of his ODD's spiked crowd control pike form. He drove the spikes into the ground, giving himself some sort of foothold to keep himself from flying away.

"Yuri, what are you doing?!" Touma yelled, trying to surpass the sound of the wind.

Accelerator didn't bother acknowledging his original name. He simply kept babbling, making the wind grow stronger and stronger. With an ear shattering screech, the vortex picked up speed tenfold, becoming strong enough to pick up the many shipping containers and people. The only thing keeping the likes of Touma and Mikoto from flying away was ODD and the trainyard fence, respectively.

As the wind got stronger, Touma's grip on his weapon progressively got looser. He tried to hang on with both hands, but both were coming loose with the intense wind. No matter what he tried, Touma's grip was sure to give in eventually. The final nail in the coffin was the various debris being picked up by Accelerator's whirlwind. As per his rotten luck, a random piece of trash slammed into Touma's hands, knocking his grip loose and sending him flying.

Back on the ground, Mikoto watched in horror as Touma was thrown around like a ragdoll by the wind. He flew around limp, almost looking like a corpse. The image only became stronger when he crashed into a nearby, broken windmill, knocking him out of the sky. He landed on the hard, gravel ground with a sickening cross between a crash and a splat. He lied there unconscious, bathing in a pool of his own blood.

"I-is he…," Mikoto stuttered, "N-no… No!"

Mikoto could hardly believe what she had seen. Touma had had a lot of crap thrown at him in the short amount of time they knew each other. He's lost his memories, got his arm cut off, electrocuted nearly to death, but nothing had ever been this bad. In every single instance, he had managed to come back alive, if not without a few noticeable scars. However, this time, he didn't look like he was getting up. He was bleeding profusely, and his body was limp. It looked like he was actually dead.

"The air, the wind, the atmosphere. I can win this fight. I've got the means to kill that piece of crap right here, all around me," Accelerator declared as a purple ball of light appeared over the trainyard, "If I could control the direction of the air that's flowing through the atmosphere, if I could control the world's wind currents, I could destroy anything I want to. My reach would be infinite. My power would be truly and absolutely unstoppable. The strongest Esper in Academy City, the only Level 6? I wouldn't need that anymore! There wouldn't be anything or anyone in the whole damn universe that could stop me! The world and everything in it would be at my mercy!"

Picking himself off the ground, Acccelerator put an enormous amount of into his control over the wind.

"Compress it. Compress all the air," he laughed, turning towards the unconscious Touma, "Hey Third String, you have given me a fantastic idea. What happened to all that spunk you had? Aren't you going to keep running you damn mouth about how far back the two of us supposedly go? Come on, get up already! I need you to stick with me for just a little longer, okay? It's almost over now!"

"Accelerator!" an all too familiar voice yelled from behind the Level 5.

Turning around, Accelerator saw Mikoto standing there, challenging him. Her right hand was raised and extended towards the boy with an arcade coin resting on her finger. In her left hand was Touma's journal, clutching it close to her chest. Hey gaze was as sharp as a freshly forged sword, and her eyes burned with a flame of determination. Mikoto was done working from the shadows. She was done sitting at the sidelines. For the first time since learning about the project, she was coming front and center to face the problem head on.

"Stay right where you are," Mikoto threatened.

Off to the side, she could hear the sound of shuffling gravel. It was faint compared to the roar of the wind, but it was there. Looking in the direction that the sound came from, tears formed in the corners of Mikoto's eyes as she saw Touma weakly clawing at the ground.

"Misaka…" he whispered weakly, "Don't… do… it…"

'I can't believe it, he's alive,' Mikoto thought happily, 'I'm sorry. I know you always aimed for a happy ending for everyone, but I don't think that's even possible here. Once I die, the experiments will be over. It's selfish, I know, but I don't want you to die because of me. You're too important to me for me to let that happen. So now, I'll end this.'

Returning her gaze back to Accelerator, Mikoto noticed he wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. To him, she was no more significant than an insect. His only real interest as testing out his now trick with manipulating the vectors of the wind. Looking up at the sky, Mikoto quickly realized he was condensing the air into one point to create plasma. The whole plan seemed insane. With how large the ball of plasma was now, it would have destroyed the entire trainyard if it was thrown, maybe even a large portion of Academy City itself.

It seemed hopeless. Mikoto knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. Touma was too heavily injured to do anything, so she couldn't turn to him. She couldn't beat him in a one-on-one fight to stop him, her entire plan was to lose so horribly that an earlier Tree Diagram prediction would be seen as incorrect, force the project to shut down since they couldn't get a recalculation with Tree Diagram destroyed. She could try to use the windmills scattered across the city to interfere with the wind and Accelerator's calculations, but she couldn't possible reach that many windmills by herself.

Looking for an answer, Mikoto's gaze took notice of Misaka 10032 lying limp on the ground not too far away. Mikoto rushed over and kneeled by her Sister's side, begging her to wake up. However, upon noticing how cold the girl felt, Mikoto reconsidered. She was in terrible shape. How could Mikoto ask her for help when the girl had been through so much? However, another look at the far more injured Touma convinced her otherwise.

"I realize that I'm asking a lot of you. With everything that's happened, I know I don't have the right, but please. Please, there's something I need you to do. It's something that only you can do," Mikoto begged, "I hate this. Why do I have to be so damn powerless! I can't do this. I can't protect everyone myself. The Ace of Tokiwodai, one of only seven Level 5s, and I can't do anything! I can't heal her injuries. I can't stop Accelerator. I can't give Kamijou the same ending he gives literally everyone else! Please get up, I'm begging you! Get up and do what you can, not for me, but for him."

"I am… confused," Misaka 10032 replied weakly, placing her hand or that of her older sister, "I'm not sure I understand everything you are saying, but for some reason, I find you words moving, so I am happy to help you."

As the plasma ball grew larger and larger, Accelerator laughed his head off like a complete maniac. He was on a total power trip, something he never really experienced since no one could ever give him a challenge. However, the boy laying down in a pool of his own blood managed to do just that. For once, Accelerator knew what it felt like to let loose to take down an opponent.

"Amazing! It's like a part of my body, like moving my arms or legs! All of this air is completely under my control!" Accelerator laughed, "So fighting someone stronger really was a shortcut to leveling up! Guess they were right all along! Thanks, Third String! You served your purpose well, so now I'm going to destroy you!"

Just before he threw down his plasma ball, Accelerator noticed something odd happening to his creation. For some reason, the plasma was dispersing, falling apart and returning to the form or regular gas. He didn't understand what was happening. He was the top ranked Level 5 and a genius capable of complex vector calculations in incredibly short amounts of time. There was no way his calculations for controlling the wind were wrong. That left only one conclusion. Something was changing the wind currents and throwing his calculations off by changing their basic premise.

He knew it wasn't wind manipulation. No one in the area had that power. Anyone going by Misaka was an Electromaster, through and through, and he had determined the unconscious pain in the ass of a boy to be a Level 0. It's not like some other fourth party was getting involved that just so happened to have the power to manipulate wind on this scale.

Off in the distance, Accelerator could see several of the city's windmill turning. However, the windmills were all turning the wrong way. Instead of turning because of the blowing wind, the wind was blowing because of the turning windmills. Suddenly, it all clicked. If a group of Electromasters were to collaborate and manipulate the windmills, they could alter the wind currents and ruin his formulas. There was only one group of Electromasters he could think of that could collaborate on such a level, and that was the hivemind of Sisters.

Turning around, Accelerator saw Misaka 10032 being supported by Mikoto Misaka. She had a perfect view of his plasma ball, and the images she saw were shared over the entire Misaka Network. If she kept this up, the Sisters might actually be his undoing. Accelerator wasn't about to let that happen.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Mikoto simply stepped in front of her Sister, defiantly taking a battle stance.

"I won't let you," Mikoto declared, a fire in her eyes.

Off to the side, the injured Touma could hear everything happening in the fight. Mikoto had stepped in against his wishes, facing Accelerator. He wasn't going to let that fly. Despite his injuries, Touma defiantly made a fist, struggling to get up.

"I don't understand you people," Accelerator complained, "First we have this damned, gallant appearance from Third String, and then you show up, just to defend this windup doll. That's an overproduced factory reject of yourself. You of all people should be the most disgusted by it. That's how any other normal person would react. Or maybe that's not the part you're disgusted by. Maybe you're disgusted by the idea that someone like me is beating up and killing things that look just like you. Then again, that's not a very good reason to risk your life. Maybe you can't stand the though of someone other than you reaching Level 6 first? Or how about atonement for being the reason these experiments started in the first place?"

"I don't desire power for power's sake like you do. Nor do I think of this as atonement for the things I may have done wrong in the past. She's my sister," Mikoto clarified, holding an arm in front of the injured girl, "All of these girls are my little sisters. That's why I'm here."

Misaka 10032 could hardly believe what she was hearing. Based on what Misaka 10031 had heard from Mikoto and the researchers, their big sister was disgusted by their very existence. Could their conclusion have been wrong.

"I'm sorry," Mikoto apologized to her sister, "I have no right to ask you this, but still. Just this one time, can a fulfil my role as big sister?"

"…Yes," the younger girl replied simply.

Having received her answer, Mikoto took a deep breath and firmly stood her ground. At this moment, she was the only thing between Accelerator and her sister.

"I will not let another one of them die," Mikoto declared.

Despite himself, Accelerator couldn't help but let out a laugh. Out of everything he had heard that night, this had to be the most out there claim yet.

"Man, that's rich! I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming! Playing at sisters?! That's a good one," Accelerator laughed, "You're way out of your league here. If there's something I want to do, you can't stop me. Two little girls like you can't even slow me down. It's kind of like how a person's vision can only be measured up to twenty-twenty. Level 5 is the highest rank and Esper can attain in Academy City, so that's where I'm stuck even though I'm so damn better than the rest of you! I'm sick of looking at the same face day in and day out, so I'm gonna kill all-"

Before Accelerator could finish his rant, he heard the sound of rustling gravel off to his right. The two sisters heard the same, only for them it was to their left. Looking towards the sound, the group saw something of pure surprise and horror. Touma Kamijou was standing up.

He was heavily injured in every part of his body. Blood was pouring out of his various wounds and his stance was weak and shaky. His clothes were in tatters and he was covered in dirt. Given his current appearance, one wouldn't be faulted for believing him to be dead. The way he was standing and how he held himself, he almost looked like he just climbed out of his own grave.

Against all odds, Touma was standing on his own two feet. Slowly but surely, he started walking towards Accelerator, causing the Level 5 to flinch as take a half step back. However, the truly disturbing thing was when Touma spoke.

"Now that's just hurtful," Touma laughed weakly, "You used to love see my face every day."

'There he goes again, claiming to have known me back then. This idiot just doesn't know when to quit,' Accelerator thought to himself, his fear quickly turning to anger, 'Sure, I lost control of the wind, but I can still finish him off, right here, right now. All it would take is one touch.'

"This really has been fascinating, but I've had enough. It ends, now!" Accelerator yelled, rushing at Touma with a single kick.

Seeing what Accelerator was about to do, Mikoto reached for an arcade coin to try and help. Unfortunately, the coin slipped from her grasp and started falling to the ground.

Accelerator glided across the ground towards Touma before jumping high into the air. With the altitude advantage, he descended on Touma with his right arm pulled over to his left shoulder. As soon as he was in range, he swiped his hand at Touma's head, only for the Level 0 to swiftly duck under it. However, Accelerator wasn't done. Although his first attack missed, he immediately followed up with a stab from his left hand. Sadly, that attack was met with Touma's right fist, negating Accelerator's ability and bending his fingers in a disgustingly unnatural way.

Clutching his teeth in pain, Accelerator could only watch helplessly as Touma pulled back his fist for his signature right hook.

"You're the strongest guy in Academy City," Touma said quietly as he pulled back his fist, "That's not going to help you now, the weakest guy is taking you down."

'I don't get it. Why can't I break this guy?' Accelerator thought to himself, 'He's protecting them, the windup dolls. I was one step away from it, from absolute power. And now…'

* * *

 _ **10 Years Ago**_

There was an accident. He was the center of it. A couple of kids challenged him to a fight and got hurt. However, they weren't the only things that got broken. The albino boy stood at the center of a disaster zone. A whole army surrounded him with tanks and military helicopters, all of their guns directed at him. The only thing standing between him and them was as single boy his age with spike black hair. He stood in front of the albino boy, his arms spread out on his defense.

"Please, it wasn't Y-r-'s fault!" the boy begged, "It was only an accident!"

His power's main application was to protect him, deflecting away all forms of harm he faced. However, that power was so great and so out of control that it caused harm without his consent, ultimately leading to destruction to others rather than just protection for himself. This got people's attention. Military saw him as a threat. Researchers saw him as an invaluable resource. The researchers eventually won out, getting him transferred away from his Child Error Facility to a high end research facility. There, he gained more power and even more control. However, that didn't mean people stopped getting hurt.

Like before, it wasn't his fault they got hurt, at least not intentionally. They challenged him to fight he had not interest in and they got hurt when they tried to attack. It was as simple as that. Still he wanted it to stop. He didn't want people to get hurt on his behalf anymore. Then, he was approached about Project Level 6 Shift. They promised him absolute power if he participated, the kind that would scare people away from challenging him. All he had to do was kill a couple thousand windup dolls/guinea pigs/clones. If he could achieve that, maybe he could return to the good days with his friend, T-m-. Maybe then, no one would have to get hurt.

To this day, he still remembered his parting with his friend. They stood outside the vehicle that would take him to the research facility. Neither wanted to see the other go, but they had no say in it.

"I guess this is goodbye," -ur- said.

"Sorry I wasn't able to save you then, -u-I," -ou-a apologized, holding out his right fist, "I promise, I'll make it up to you, some day."

That right hand was the only thing that could get around his ability. For some reason, it had the power to bypass it, making To-m- the only person would not get hurt by him. He was grateful to have such a friend.

"I'll hold you to it, -oum-," the albino boy replied, returning their last, signature, fist bump.

That was the last time the two saw each other.

* * *

As the fist closed in on Accelerator's face, he final realized that everything the boy in front of him said was true. He would recognize this fist anywhere. He only saw it every day as a child when exchanging fist bumps with his only real friend. Now it was rushing in to punch him. However, what really put the final nail in the coffin was what the boy said before the fist landed.

"Sorry I wasn't able to save you then, Yuri," Touma apologized, throwing his right fist, "I promise, I'll make it up to you, some day."

When Mikoto's coin finally hit the ground, Touma's fist collided with the Level 5's face, sending him flying. When he hit the ground, he only let out a single whisper before falling unconscious.

"Touma…," Yuri whispered as he passed out.

Once he was sure his opponent was down and out, Touma straightened his stance and looked over to the girls.

"You two alright?" He asked nonchalantly.

Both girls simply gave him a nod. He smiled back at them, content with the end result. He then collapsed, falling unconscious himself from his exhaustion and his injuries. He fell limp next to Yuri, their right hands barely a few centimeters away from one another. Quiet fell over the trainyard as the windmills came to a stop, the Sisters no longer manipulating them. The battle of the greatest extremes was finally over.

* * *

 **And that's the fight everyone. I must say, I think it turned out pretty well. Twice the length of other chapters, covers several episodes worth of content, implements elements from both versions, and adds some re-imagined elements. Not to mention all the additional emotional weight to the fight. This has to be one of my best chapters yet.**

 **That's it for now. Hopefully, I can get the conclusion out within the next week. I will definitely be shorter than this, that;s for sure. Tell me what you thought in the reviews!**


	37. Who We Fight For

**Whoo! That was a close one. For a second there, I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish this before I leave for my family vacation. Yet, here we are, posted the day before I'm set to leave. Then again, that was mostly my fault. For the last few weeks, I've been pouring dozens of hours into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, now my new favorite game of all time, right up there with the original. I just finished the main game yesterday, so all that's left is to complete as many of the quests I can find, roll all of the rare blades (curse you gacha system and your ploy to keep me playing until the Torna Expansion comes out), and develop the rest of the Titan countries in the game to five stars. Yeah, that's going to be a really bad time sink in the future.** **Then again, I think the game is starting to influence my writing. A lot of the themes from that game are starting to bled into my story. Its minuet now, but it could easily escalate.**

 **I'm happy to see that last chapter was pretty well received. Here's to hoping the closing of the arc goes over just as well. As for future plans, once I get back from my vacation, I'm planning on adding an intermission chapter for Touma and Shizuri's sibling reunion. Can I just say, it is so hard to call her by her first name after getting used to knowing her by her last name. Normally, I would just call her Mugino, but since that's part of an alias in this story, I can't call her that. Afterwards, I'll be covering the Angle Fall Arc, revamped with family feels that will partially be undermined by the magical hijinks. After that, Silent Party Arc and the last of the animated Railgun material.**

 **Also, I'm going to be experimenting in the future with musical accompaniment with certain scenes in the story. They'll be a bit sporadic, and the concept might not even stick. Still, I want to give it a shot. So, before you start this chapter, I suggest you look up "One Last You". It's the ending song of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Is it obvious that the game had a massive impact on me?**

 **For now, let's cover some Q &A.**

 **YokaiAngel: Thank you!**

 **acpeters: You'll have to wait and see. I have a lot planned for them in the future.**

 **felixiglesias8: I'm happy I have inspired you. I wonder what you will create.**

 **icedshadows: Thank you! I've never considered writing a book from scratch. I can't exactly create a totally organic story from scratch. Why do you think I write fanfiction? Have you seen my works list? It's mostly rehashes of previous ideas and CinemaWin parodies.**

 **SoulReaver267: Wow, that is some high praise. Thank you. I never though someone would think I did the fight better than the original writer.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Angel Fall comes next. Technically, they occur at the same time, but for the purposes of this story, they're happening in sequence. You'll see why later.**

 **Bluejack222: It varies with translation. The dub uses "Third String", a sports reference. It refers to a third set of players in a team that are given the least priority in getting put on the field during a game.**

 **GhostofTime: Yup. You know me. I love me some puns.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Thanks for all the praise. Touma and Accelerator will make up, just not right now.**

 **Kim454: Come on man, I already have one guy sinning every single one of my chapters. I don't need another one. Hm... I think I would be a Level 4 Esper Technopath. Given the fact that we live in the technical age, I think that would be an awesome power to have.**

 **mohamadstar94: Eh, I try. That is going to be a long while. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Who knows, maybe a different path will open up by the time I get there.**

 **RyuAssassin: Thank you!**

 **Sergio644: That was always the plan. I'm just showing some favoritism by having Mikoto be the front runner.**

 **Guest (1): Here you go.**

 **guest (Guest): Thanks.**

 **Guest (2): All of that will happen in due time. Just not right now.**

 **Guest (3): I actually have a lot of the story planned out already. Yuri will be avoiding Touma for the time being. Lots of emotional stress to deal with. Angle Fall is next and will be set up with the Kamijou sibiling's reunion. The Three Stories Arc will occur mostly like in canon, just with a few naturally occurring discrepancies. One thing I can confirm is that it will mean big chances for Yuri.**

 **ThinkThisOver (Guest): Don't worry, I've thought this over plenty. The concept was inspired by a set of stories written and posted by a friend of mine, so I already have a good idea of how to meld the two worlds. Honestly, out of everything, the timeline is the easiest to hand-wave since Toaru never gives us a definitive year, just that its happening in the modern day. For me, that means anyting within the last decade or so, plenty of time to work with. Besides, this is only a concept I felt like sharing. There is no guarantee this idea will even take off.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked the chapter. The real question isn't how the sibiling's reunion affects ITEM, but how the reunion affects ITEM's interactions with others. I'll leave that for you to figure out.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: You have a lot to look forward to. I'll try my best to deliver.**

 **fencer29: Guess its just a force of habit. You know how anime and manga otaku are, implementing Japanese into their daily lives when they really don't need to. I'll probably change that in future chapters. While it is true that ODD is an ever evolving tool, it is unlikely to reach Sonic Screwdriver levels of utility, at least within the current decade. There is only so much you can fit in a solid, metal rod. If it was just a container for nanomachines, then that would be a different story, but that's years ahead of where I have the story set. Touma's use of ODD will be limited to a few reasonable utilities for a member of Judgement and the weapon modes he has now. What makes fights interesting will be how Touma improvises strategies with ODD, much like how he used it as a distraction against Accelerator in the last chapter.**

 **drunkenlullabies90: Butterfly Effect, my friend. The changes are small now, but they will lead to much larger changes in the future. Take the last chapter for instance. The original fight was just about stopping the experiment, but my version also added the layer of Touma trying to reach out to his lost friend, even revamping the choreography. Most of the changes rely heavily on character's personalities and relationships.**

 **RedSS: Yeah, those sins actually feel a bit deserved. Actually, Touma constantly calling Accelerator Yuri was supposed to convay that, to Touma, there is no difference between the two of them. All he sees is Yuri Suzushina, his dear friend that has been dragged into a personal hell.**

 **Generation Zero: Happy you liked the chapter. For me, the writing the fight was less about the physical struggle and more about the emotional struggle between two lost friends, with one trying to save the other while said other is trying to keep that past buried. Of course, I added quite a few changes in the fight itself, implementing parts of both anime versions and adding some new maneuvers. I know a lot of people wanted the other girls involved and helping, but the main crux of the conflict was that the basic premise of the experiment, Accelerator is the strongest, needed to be disproved by having him beaten by a Level 0 alone. Having a Level 4 like Kuroko or the Level 5 Mikoto too involved would put the fight closer to the margin of error. I do have plans for the girls to learn about the project in the future, so sit tight.**

 **Guest (4): Not even close. She wasn't actually watching the fights themselves. You're supposed to interpret that line as he watching the progress of the experiment itself and all of the ways that Mikoto struggles to put a stop to it. Things like staying up to date on which of the hundred plus facilities she tries to destroy in a fruitless attempt to stop it. She will, however, be miffed that the experiment was ended because of some Level 0 that she doesn't realize is her younger brother.**

 **And that's all of them. Let's not dilly-dally any longer. Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 37: Who We Fight For

The next morning, Mikoto stood in front of an all too familiar hospital room. Room 1028 in Heaven Canceller's hospital, the room specially reserved for regular patient, Touma Kamijou. She had a back of store bought cookies in her hand, the most expensive brand she could find at Seventh Mist. Despite coming to the room so many times before, she still had nerves. Granted, this was the first time she came to visit by herself. Regardless, this was something she needed to do in private.

Slapping her cheeks a few times to psyche herself out, Mikoto steeled her nerves and opened the door, excusing herself for her intrusion. Upon entering, she noticed Touma was asleep in his bed. He was bandaged up from head to toe, understandable considering his condition listed among his top five visits to the hospital. Trying not to bother him, she quietly approached the bed, looking over his injured form from the side. However, she was caught off guard when Touma suddenly but calmly woke up.

"Sorry," Mikoto apologized, taking a step back, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Not at all," Touma insisted, sitting up, "Good to see you."

"Same," Mikoto replied, holding out her bag, "Here, a get-well gift. Your journal is in there, as well as the most expensive cookies I could find. I figured you would have preferred homemade, but I was a bit short on time."

"Really? I would have thought you would have baked some yourself, only to second guess your decision and just opt for store bought," Touma teased with a cheeky grin.

"Idiot," Mikoto said playfully, lightly jabbing him in the in the shoulder, "It's the thought that counts."

"Hey, watch it, I'm injured here!" Touma laughed, rubbing his shoulder.

After calming down, Mikoto pulled up a chair next to Touma's bed. The two of them sat in silence for a moment before Touma decided to cut to the chase.

"Your sister came to visit me last night. Caught me a bit by surprise, really," Touma admitted, "She told me the Project was stopped."

This was a very good thing. At long last, Project Level 6 Shift had been put to a stop. Mikoto should have been happy about it. However, she couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy about the situation. He hung her head down in shame, avoiding Touma's gaze.

"Their over, but because of me," Mikoto whispered, clutching her fists, "So many…"

"Well, you know, if you hadn't offered them your DNA map, none of those girls would have ever existed," Touma offered, looking out the window of his room, "That experiment was messed up in a lot of ways, but at least something good came out of it, your sisters. You can take pride in that. Think of it like this. If you had never given them you DNA map, none of your sisters would have had a chance at life whatsoever. What's the point in moping? I don't think would want to see you like this, beating yourself up."

Hearing another one of Touma's improvised speeches, Mikoto couldn't help but smile. There was just something about the way he put words together that always stirred something up in her. He was the kind of person whose words take a direct route to your heart and make you reconsider everything you thought you knew. Its just a part of his natural charisma.

"It's all thanks to you," Mikoto noted, "If it weren't for you and your stupidly unyielding desire to give everyone a happy ending, I would be dead right now."

"Well, you know me. I can't stand to see someone unhappy," Touma shrugged.

"Sorry about Yuri though."

"What are you talking about?" Touma asked, confused.

"Well, you weren't able to save him," Mikoto explained, "I saw everything after that explosion. From what I could tell, he didn't recognize you at all. He didn't even call you your name. Up until the very end, he didn't act like the friend you been searching for all these years. Despite everything you've tried to do for him, you were still unable to reach him."

"Is that what you think?" Touma asked, skeptically.

"Huh?"

"From what I saw, I think I did manage to reach him," Touma said, wistfully, "Just before I knocked him out, I must have stirred something in him that made him remember. It was quiet, but I heard him call me by name just before he hit the ground. In that moment, I was able to bring out the old Yuri. Given his condition and status, he was probably sent to this hospital to get patched up. After all, that was the first time he has ever been physically hurt."

"Are you going to visit him?" Mikoto asked.

"No, not yet," Touma sighed, "He's probably going through a lot right now. He has a lot to think about. I'm going to give him a bit of space for now. When the time is right, I'll see him again. Maybe then, we'll be able to continue our friendship where we left off."

"And what if you can't?" Mikoto proposed, "What if your friendship from the past is so strained by you've both gone through that you can't pick up where you left off?"

Touma simply gave her a small smile.

"Then we'll just have to start from scratch," Touma answered, "I'm not stupid. We haven't seen each other in a decade. In that time, I've gotten amnesia and he's been twisted on a psychological level. To think we can pick up where we left off is wishful thinking. However, I'm not giving up on him. If there's even the slightest chance that we can be friends again, even if it means starting over, I have to take it. I've left him alone for ten years. I'm not abandoning him again."

There it was, Touma's unyielding optimism. It was what got him through his daily misfortune. It was what pushed him to give people a happy ending. But most importantly, it was what made him so likeable. No matter how dire the situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem, he was always that beacon of hope that people could turn to.

"You really are amazing, you know that?" Mikoto mused.

"Part of the reason you love me, right?" Touma teased.

"Oh, you remembered that?" Mikoto asked, embarrassed.

"I may have a history with memory loss, but I'm not that bad with remembering things, especially something as important as that," Touma defended, "Honestly, I expected you to desperately try to deny it and chalk it up to a head injury I got in the fight."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Mikoto denied.

"Sure you aren't," Touma snarked, "But, given the fact that you're not trying to deny it, I take it you want an answer. I did promise I would give you one."

"…Yeah, an answer would be nice," Mikoto blushed.

"Wow, thanks for putting me on the spot like that," Touma lamented, "Truth be told, I'm not sure I have an answer for you, at least not right now. As far as I can remember, this is the first time any girl has ever confessed to me. Though, now that I'm saying it out loud, I think that might have been a poor choice of words."

"You think?"

"Point is, I have no idea how to deal with the situation," Touma admitted, "If you're willing to give me the time, I might be able to give you an answer eventually, though there's not telling how long it will be before I give you that answer."

"…Sure, I think I'd like that," Mikoto replied, "Take your time. I've waited this long. I can wait a bit longer."

"Tha-"

"However," Mikoto cut Touma off, "From now on, this is a declaration of war! Until you give me an answer, I'm going to throw everything I've got at you to get you to say 'yes', so you better prepare yourself! I'm not holding back."

Seeing Mikoto's determination, Touma couldn't help but smile. Thinking back, he had once been fooled into thinking she was his girlfriend after he woke up with amnesia. Initially, he only agreed because he wanted to maintain the façade he gave Index, but now he was thinking there was some truth to his lie. Mikoto had her own brand of cute, and her relationship with her sisters was definitely a plus. He definitely had a lot to think of.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Touma replied with a smile, "So, are you planning to tell the others about all this? About your sisters and the experiments, that is."

"I think I'll keep it on the down low for now," Mikoto admitted, "With everything happening pretty recently, I don't think it would be best to drop it all on top of them at once like that. Until the time is right, I'll keep it a secret. Maybe then I'll tell them."

"I take it you want the rest of this to be kept a secret too," Touma observed.

"Please do," Mikoto begged, "I don't think I could handle Saten's teasing, Uiharu's fantasies, or Kuroko's increased attempts to join in."

"Yeah, I get it," Touma laughed, "Don't worry, my lips are sealed.

The two students simply sat there in quiet, enjoying each others company. The danger had passed, all the issues have been resolved, and their personal peace had been restored. Unfortunately, that peace and quiet didn't last very long.

"Touma!" Index yelled as she burst through the door.

"Index, quiet," Saten reprimanded, as she followed suit, "You can go yelling in a hospital."

"Good grief, you'd think she'd learn that by now considering how often Kamijou ends up in the hospital, "Kuroko complained as she walked in.

"Sorry to intrude," Uiharu apologized, following Kuroko, "Are you doing okay, Kamijou?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Touma laughed softly, "Nothing the good doctor couldn't fix. I'll be up and about in a day or two."

"Hey guys," Mikoto greeted from her seat.

"Oh! Sissy, I didn't expect to see you here so early," Kuroko noted.

"Trying to get a little private time with Kamijou, are you," Saten smirked.

"Hey, it's not like that!" Mikoto denied, blushing.

"Come on, guys, there's nothing wrong with Mikoto visiting first, right?" Touma asked, "She just heard about my accident first and came to visit. That's all."

All Touma got in response was a blank stare from everyone else in the room.

…What's wrong?" Touma asked obliviously.

"Since when were you two on a first name basis?" Kuroko asked suspiciously.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story…" Touma trailed, trying to think of some sort of excuse.

However, he didn't have to come up with one as something else interrupted the topic. To everyone's surprise, Index climbed up on the bed and on Touma's lap, glaring at him right in the eye.

"Index?" Touma asked confused.

"So, Touma," Index asked in a fake complacency, "Have anything to say for yourself?"

"Uh… nice to see you?" Touma replied lamely.

The result was as expected. In the blink of an eye, Touma's head was firmly clamped in Index's jaw. The other girls found themselves struggling to pry her off while Touma bemoaned his own misfortune.

"Hey, lay off! I'm seriously hurt here! I can't take this kind of abuse! I'm super fragile! I just managed to get through a conversation with Zapper without her zapping me!" Touma cried, "Come on, show a little concern for my health, would you?!"

"I was concerned!" Index yelled, stopping her assault, "Very much so, in fact. Kuroko told us about how you visited her and Mikoto's dorm last night and jumped out their window. We figured you were trying to deal with something big on your own. We were all worried about you."

"Is that true?" Mikoto asked the rest of the girls.

"Yeah, Shirai called all of us after Kamijoy fled," Uiharu confirmed.

"We tried to call you, too, but you wouldn't answer," Saten added, "Index was especially worried. Kamijou is technically her guardian in Academy City. If something happened to him, she might have been taken away by the church of forced on the run again."

"I'm sorry," Touma apologized, "I shouldn't have made you all worry like that."

"Silly boy," Index said, giving her surrogate older brother a hug, "We just got over a whole ordeal with Mikoto going in alone instead of getting help. You should have known better. You can be a real hypocrite sometimes."

"Well, you know me," Touma laughed, "A law enforcer that bends the rules. Just about as hypocritical as you can get."

"Well, no point in worrying about it now," Saten mused, "You're already in the hospital."

"By the way, Kamijou," Uiharu asked, "What were you fighting for this time, anyway?"

"It's simple really," Touma replied, looking out the window, "I was fighting for myself."

* * *

A little while later, the girls left the hospital to give Touma some time to rest. As the left, Mikoto sensed the presence of an Electromaster identical to her within the area, a clear sign that one of her sisters was nearby. Excusing herself from the rest of the group, she followed the electrical signal until she found herself at the edge of a playground. Not to far way was Misaka 10032, her wounds covered and her cat in her arms. The two sisters accompanied each other with a walk through the park, catching up after the end of the experiments.

"How are your injuries doing?" Mikoto asked as they walked.

"They really are nothing serious, compared to what happened to that boy," her sister answered.

"Good, I'm glad," Mikoto replied.

As they walked, Mikoto couldn't help but contemplate the Sisters' existence. They were born from machines and given a purpose for their existence the moment the come out. Being born under those conditions, it's no surprise when they accept such conditions. However, if they were given a chance to experience the world for themselves, to live their own lives and come to their own conclusions, surely, they could change their perspective. Surely, they could change their fate.

Mikoto knew what she wanted to do. It was her duty as the older sister. Having reached her conclusion, she turned around to talk to her sister directly, only to find that said sister was no longer following her. Instead, she was off in the playground, showing some little girls the stand-and-swing swing set technique.

Mikoto could hardly believe what she was looking at. Right before her eyes, her little sister was acting even more like a little girl than the girls she was playing with. Not only that, but she was actively trying to brainwash the older of the two girls she was playing with into believing it was normal for the older sister to indulge the younger sister's desires. Unfortunately for Misaka 10032, her self-narrating speech patterns make lying difficult, so Mikoto quickly caught on to her plan.

To make matters worse, Mikoto was eventually dragged into the situation and had to play along with the younger girls as well, not that she was against it. However, the bad part was when the younger of the two girls tried to guess which of the Misaka sisters was older. Based on the Gekota cell phone, the girl incorrectly deduced that Mikoto was the younger one. This prompted the Sister to fail at holding in a laugh and list off a multitude of Mikoto's flaws, including her childish tastes, her rude attitude, her temper, and her belligerent behavior. But at the same time, Misaka 10032's description of her older sister was sweet, pointing out how Mikoto had risked her own life for that of her sister's.

Excusing themselves from the younger girls, the Misaka sisters sat down at a nearby bench. They sat there in silence, simply watching the younger girls continue to play.

"It is strange," the younger of the girls mused, "After last night's experiment, Misaka was supposed to be dead. It was supposed to play out as it always had over ten thousand times before, the same course of events. And yet, here I am. Misaka is still alive. Still walking and talking. The Misakas were disposable. We were created in order to be killed. That was all our lives meant back then. It was why we exist. Yet, thanks to you and the boy, we have lost our purpose. We are unemployed, lost and adrift in a world that makes little sense. So please, help Misaka. Stay with her while she goes on her search. While she looks for her place in life, says Misaka, asking her big sister for a world of indulgence."

"…Yes… I'd love to," Mikoto replied simply with a smile, "Actually, I think I know the perfect way to start."

"What do you mean? Asks Misaka, confused by her big sister's words."

"Before that idiot intervened, he told me about your kitten here," Mikoto explained, petting the kitten's head, "He told me you still haven't come up with a name for him and said the first thing I should do for you is help you with is giving him a name."

"But Misaka already has a name for the kitten. It is Dog, explains Misaka with a straight face, barely holding in her laugher," the younger sister said with a lopsided smile.

"…Wow, if that's what you came up with, I can see why that idiot wanted me to help you," Mikoto said in disbelief, "Can't you come up with anything more dignified?"

"The boy said the same thing, Misaka muses, enviously noting her big sister's closeness to the boy."

"For someone with an artificial and limited emotional spectrum, you sure wear your heart on your sleeve," Mikoto signed, "My relationship to that idiot aside, don't you have any other ideas for a name?"

"All of my other suggestions were shot down by the boy, Misaka explains. Perhaps it is best if big sister gives Misaka somewhere to start."

"Let's see," Mikoto mused, holding her chin, "How about naming him after someone else?"

"Misaka tried that. She suggested the names King Henry VIII and Schrödinger, but the boy rejected those names as well."

"You see, your going about this all wrong," Mikoto explained, "You should choose someone you care about or respect. That way, a little part of them are always with you in the kitten. And you shouldn't name them the exact same thing verbdom.

The younger girl eyed her kitten in thought for what felt like forever. Think about her older sister's words, she tried to think of someone she knew personally and would want the kitten to remind her of. Being so young with such little outside exposure, she didn't have many people to consider. Even with twenty thousand short lives worth of memory, she had a very small pool of people to chose from. She then smiled to herself, looking up to her older sister with a never before seen fire in her eyes.

"Miko, says Misaka. The kitten's name will be Miko, named after big sister."

"Y-you want to name him after me?" Mikoto stuttered.

"Is that not okay?" the Sister asked, picking up her kitten in her arms"What do you think, Miko? Do you like that name?"

The kitten meowed in a satisfied tone. Seeing this, Mikoto couldn't help but smile at pet the kitten's head again.

"No. It's perfect. I would be honor for him to be named after me," Mikoto admitted, "Nice to meet you, Miko."

* * *

 **A/N: AT this point, I would suggest you start playing "One Last You". I think it fits pretty well. I was listening to it while writing this scene.**

* * *

The next day, Mikoto once again returned to Touma's hospital room. In her hand was a paper bag of homemade cookies. She knew she would never have been able to bake them in peace at her dorm's kitchen, or at one of her friend's kitchens. Still, she chose the lesser of two evils and baked the cookies at Saten's place. At the very least, she got some semblance of privacy to bake them. Surprisingly, Saten kept the teasing to a minimum, already knowing who the cookies were for. At least she was able to make them.

Knocking on the door, Mikoto waited patiently for Touma to answer.

"Come in," Touma called out from the other side of the door.

"Sorry to intrude," Mikoto greeted, "How are you doing?"

"Better than yesterday, that's for sure," Touma said reassuringly, "Though, there is a bit of a stinging pain in my skull that wasn't there before."

"I'd bet. Here," Mikoto laughed softly, offering the bag, "Homemade cookies. I actually had some time to make them today."

"Thanks," Touma replied as he took the bag.

As Touma opened the bag, Mikoto pulled up a chair next to his bed. Taking out a cookie, he was surprised to find that it was shaped like a little bear's face, most likely the result of Mikoto's choice of cookie cutters. He then took a bite, taking in the flavor. There was something familiar about the taste, It tasted like a specific sugar cookie recipe he knew, but there was a little something extra to it. The entire time he tasted the cookie, Mikoto watched expectantly.

"Is this a modified version of my sugar cookie recipe?" Touma asked.

"Y-yeah," Mikoto stuttered, "I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on them once they were done baking."

"They're great," Touma complimented, "I can't believe I didn't think to try that before."

"I figured you would have been bored with the same old flavor since you made the recipe," Mikoto explained, "so I added something to spice it up."

"I appreciate it," Touma replied, "So, what did you want to take about? Surely, you didn't just visit me to have me taste your cooking."

"That transparent, huh?"

"Don't feel bad, I'm just as guilty of being dense," Touma laughed softly.

"Yeah, there's something that's been bothering me since yesterday," Mikoto admitted, "Why did you call me by my first name? Normally, you either call me that stupid nickname or my last name. Why the sudden change?"

"Oh, that," Touma said, scratching the back of his head, "It's just that is going to get confusing to call you Misaka with all of your sisters, so I decided to use your first name. Besides, we've known each other for a while and you confessed. It's not a problem, is it?"

"N-no. No problem," Mikoto stuttered, "Does that mean 'Zapper' is finally going to be put to rest,"

"I wouldn't count on it," Touma chuckled, "If anything, that name's been upgraded to pet name."

"Idiot," Mikoto pouted, "Fine! In that case, I get to call you 'Touma' and 'Idiot' interchangeably. It's only fair."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Touma smiled, "I'm glad to have met you, Mikoto."

Despite herself, Mikoto couldn't help but smile in return.

"Same, Touma."

* * *

 **And that's it. That's the end of the Sisters Arc. What did you all think? Did you like the name I gave Mikoto's sister's cat? What about the scenes between Touma and Mikoto? Did I close this off in a satisfying way? Tell me in the reviews.**

 **Well, that's all from me for at least a week. Starting Saturday, I'll be on a cruise ship with questionable connectivity. But hey, family time, trip to the Caribbean, and unlimited food. Can't say I can complain. I'll see all of you in a week or two. Until then!**


	38. Unbreaking Bonds

**Sorry to keep you all waiting, everyone! After my little ciesta, I had a bit of writers block and trouble getting back into the rhythm of writing. This was also my own fault for getting distracted, since I've clocked over 200 hours in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 all in the quest to awaken all the Rare Blades (which I have), complete all the sidequests, and max out all the affinity charts(something that is taking me several New Game + files to accomplish). On the bright side, this gave me a lot of inspiration for future chapters and potential spin-offs, so its not all a total waste of time.**

 **In addition, there were a few production hiccups, leading to me splitting this chapter in two. I originally planned for this chapter to have the Kamijou sibilings reunite and reconcile, but the chapter came out longer than expected, so I'm pushing the reconciliation back for the next chapter, which will be all original content.**

 **Since I ended up taking so long, reviews have piled up too high for me to properly respond to them, so I'm going to skip that part for now. I'll answer all of your reviews for this chapter next time. For now, let's not waste any time and get straight to the chapter, right after this quick disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 38: Unbreaking Bonds

Before long, Touma's injuries from his fight with Accelerator had healed to the point that he could be let out of the hospital. His most recent trip had been a new personal record. Given the severity of his injuries and the time it took for all of them to heal to an acceptable degree, it was by far his best recovery period in the last few years.

To celebrate, the girls decided to throw a hotpot party, which also doubled as a study group. Everyone was to bring their own ingredients to add to the hotpot, and then meet up at Saten's dorm. Meanwhile, Saten and Index would prep the room for everyone's arrival. They could only hope that they disciplined Index enough to keep her from eating the whole pot in less than a minute.

Going through his usual grocery store, Touma picked up ingredients he would need for the hotpot. As the group's resident master chief, everyone agreed that they should leave the soup stock to Touma. Having freshly made soup stock was sure to be much more delicious than anything store-bought. In addition, it let Touma add the usual Kamijou flare to the food.

Picking up the last of his groceries, Touma went to check-out and purchased his ingredents. Looking in his wallet, he couldn't help but grimace out how slim his food budget was getting. He always made due, but sometimes he wished he had a little extra help when it came to his finances. According to his journal, his older sister was a Level 3 before he disappeared. If she had still been around, maybe life could have eased up a little for him, both financially and emotionally.

Choosing not to dwell on it, Touma gathered his things and headed out the store to meet up with Mikoto and Kuroko. If he turned up late, he was going to get an earful from them, something he would rather avoid.

* * *

Shirzuri was not in a good mood in the slightest. After her humiliating defeat at the hands of the Railgun, she was elated to learn about the struggle the third ranked Level 5 was putting herself through in an attempt to put a stop to Project Level 6 Shift. She had planned to follow the reports on the destruction of the involved research facilities. It would have been fun to watch the Railgun struggle and squirm, desperately trying to destroy the innumerable facilities. Unfortunately, the night after she learned about the experiment, it was frozen. Apparently, a certain unknown Level 0 intervened and managed to defeat Accelerator, ruining the basic premise of the experiment. Shizuri was starting to thing that her brother's rotten luck was starting to rub off on her.

In an attempt to cheer her up, Frenda offered to take her out to a special restaurant. Apparently, it was a really popular one that Frenda went to all the time with friends outside of ITEM. Not having anything better to do, Shizuri agreed to the explosives expert's plan. Thus, Meltdowner found herself sitting down in a both at Joseph's Coffee & Restaurant.

The restaurant seemed decent enough. The décor was moderate but passable and the food at other tables looked rather appetizing. However, there was something that didn't feel right about it. Misfortune seemed to follow Shizuri just as bad as it did her younger brother, as she was faced with an unpleasant surprise. Just before Frenda sat down, she froze at the sight of someone walking up from behind Shizuri. Looking behind her, the fourth ranked Level 5 was rather miffed to set the third ranked Level 5, Mikoto Misaka, standing right behind her.

"I'll be right back with some water and a menu," a nearby waitress said.

"O-oh no," Mikoto stuttered, "Please don't. I'm not with them."

"I knew there was something I didn't like about this place," Shizuri sighed, "Apparetnly, they cater to spoiled, sheltered, little princesses."

"You know, that fight was far from a clear victory for you," Frenda claimed, leaning on the table.

"Huh?" Mikoto asked.

"All told, it was an issue of lacking information," Frenda said smugly, "If I had known that you were the Railgun, I would have taken more care in setting up my stuffed dolls."

"Frenda," Shizuri growled dangerously, "Havem't forgotten that she got away in the first place because you forgot to clean up those very same dolls, have you?"

"O-oh, I guess that's right," Frenda stuttered, playfully punching the side of her head.

Shizuri gave her a harsh kick to the shin for that little mishap, leaving Frenda clutching her leg on the ground.

"Clean up you're messes, you blonde bimbo!" Shizuri yelled in frustration.

Supporting her chin on her hand, Shizuri couldn't help but let out a huff. The day was just getting worse and worse. No matter where she turned, more and more misfortune kept coming to meet her, and it just kept coming.

"What's going on here?" a young voice called out.

Peeking over her shoulder, Shizuri saw a pigtailed, Tokiwodai girl known as Kuroko approaching her booth. The girl marched towards them, slipping on a Judgement armband and speaking with a tone of authority.

'Great, just what I needed,' Shizuri thought to herself, 'another spoiled little princess who thinks she's some hotshot cop."

"If you're going to fight, take it outside," Kuroko ordered, "As a Judgement officer, I cannot allow you to disturb the other cust- Sissy! I'm disappointed in you! You know better than to start a dispute in a place like this!"

'Great, the two princesses know each other,' Shizuri huffed mentally.

"Hey, I didn't start this," Mikoto defended, "I was just-"

"We've discussed this sort of thing so many times before," Kuroko cut her off, "You can't keep getting into fights with member of the weaker general population."

"Um, excuse me? Who are you call weak?" Frenda cut in, "What are you, a fourth grader?"

Shizuri swore she heard a vein pulse in the pigtailed girl's cheek.

"I'm certain you aren't talking to me, as I am clearly middle schooler who was only speaking out of concern for your personal safety," Kuroko clarified, "Angering Sissy here can be very dangerous. Only a handful of people in this city can get away with that unscathed, and I'm pretty sure you are not among that very short list of people. It may cost you your life if you're not careful."

"Like I said, you should really keep your nose out of this, little girl," Frenda retaliated, "Your friend would be the one shredded to bits if we got into it."

"Just like I thought, you don't know anything!" Kuroko snapped, "I'm sure you'll revise your opinion knowing that Sissy is the Railgun of Tokiwodai!"

"Well, Mugino has more combat experience than her!" Frenda countered, "She would tear you friend apart, molecule by molecule!"

"Sissy would rip her apart!" Kuroko yelled, clashing heads with Frenda.

"Mugino would win!" Frenda pushed back.

"The victory will go to Sissy!"

At this point, Shizuri was left with no choice but to intervene. Frenda was starting to make a scene, and with how she was acting, she was sure to start blabbing about ITEM's activities. The whole purpose of ITEM was to work in the shadows and maintain order in Academy City through any extremes necessary. If news of their activities reached the public ear, it wouldn't good news for anyone. Getting out of her set, Shizuri got behind Frenda and grabbed her shoulder, urging her to back out of the argument. Mikoto did the same with Kuroko, most likely to keep her own activities involving Project Level 6 Shift hidden. Unfortunately, there efforts ultimately came to nothing.

Shizuri could hardly believe the luck she had been having recently. First, on of her targets gets away from her during a job because of Frenda's stupidity. Then, the entertainment she had been hoping for got shut down the day after she made arrangements for it. Now, she had a run in with her lost target in a public place with Frenda causing a scene. It was as if a god of misfortune had decided to pay her a visit. Little did she know how accurate that description actually was.

"What the hell is happening here?" a boy's voice called out.

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Shizuri could hardly believe who had just arrived on the scene. Standing right in front of her with a Judgement armband was her precious little brother, Touma Kamijou, only he wasn't so little any more.

For the first time in a very long time, Shizuri had felt fear. It was not fear for her life. She always made sure to kill those who threatened her before they even got the chance. It was the fear of rejection. Ten years ago, she left her little brother all alone under the pretense of protecting him. Now, he stood in front of her in plain view, her cover surely blown. What was he thinking now? Is he wondering why she disappeared? Would he accept her reasons if she told him? What would he think of the life she had lead over the last decade? Was she about to lose the love and approval of the one person she sacrificed everything for? Shizuri was in complete suspense.

However, what came out of Touma's mouth shattered all of it.

"I'm very sorry about my friends, miss," Touma said with a stiff smile, "I hope they didn't bother you too much."

He then placed a hand on each of their shoulders, his left on Mikoto and his right on Kuroko. Ever so slightly, he gave each shoulder a small tug, trying to intervene and defuse the situation.

"Hey, Zapper, Pigtails, what ever beef you have with these people, drop it and let's get out of here!" Touma whisper-screamed.

"Hey, I didn't start this! I was just waiting for Kuroko and she assumed I was picking a fight," Mikoto defended.

"Aren't you always?" Touma deadpanned.

"Not the point," Mikoto rebutted, giving the boy a stink eye.

For Shizuri's part, she didn't pay much attention to her brother's conversation with the Railgun. Rather, she was more focused on who he chose to converse with and how he addressed each person. He addressed her, his own sister, like he was talking to a complete stranger. Sure, she had been missing in his life for a decade, but she still had the same face. He should have still been able to recognize her. On the other hand, he spoke to Mikoto and Kuroko with extreme familiarity. He was using nicknames, reprimanding them, and making witty banter at each other's expense.

Ever since being separated, Shizuri had been provided with regular reports of how Touma had been managing in Academy City. For the most part, everything checked out with what she was promised and what she expected of him. His misfortune caused him to struggle in school, but he always managed to advance to the next grade. He's stipends where reportedly as low as you would expect for a Level 0, but he was smarter than most people gave him credit for and was an expert at budgeting. Everything in the reports had seemed perfectly normal.

However, what she had seen from him in the restaurant was never mentioned in any of the reports. There was nothing about him even coming close to coming in contact with the Railgun, let alone being friendly with her. And then there was the issue of the Judgement armband he was wearing. Since when was he in Judgement?

There was so much to take in. So much that she didn't know about and had been kept in the dark from. These revealations consumed all of Shizuri's thoughts. The arguments that Frenda and Kuroko were throwing back and forth at one another didn't even register in her mind anymore.

"Okay, fine! Sissy may have cartoon characters on her underwear and her tastes in general are a bit more childish then one might want, but as Tokiwodai's Ace, she's still a formidable opponent," Kuroko argued, much to Mikoto's displeasure.

"Yeah? Well Mugino may have her flaws, like a shrewish temper and a tendency to flaunt her underwear to passersby, but in a fight she's completely unstoppable!" Frenda yelled enthusiastically.

"You flaunt your underwear to passersby?" Touma awkwardly asked the girl he was unaware was his sister.

Suddenly, Shizuri was paying complete attention to the petty argument.

"Honest, you think your flat friend can win against this kind of power?!" Frenda cried, grabbing Shizuri's chest from behind.

"How ignorant to think that size matter!" Kuroko yelled back, mimicking Frenda with the flat Mikoto, "When it comes to future potential, Sissy is the clear winner here!"

"And that's my cue to run!" Touma screamed as he booked it out of the restaurant.

"Get your hands off of me!" the two Level 5s bellowed as the restaurant's windows flashed with blue light.

* * *

"Man, I'll never be able to go back to that restaurant again!" Shizur grumbled as she stomped down the street.

Not too far behind her, Frenda desperately tried too keep up with her friend, holding her aching head and begging Shizuri to slow down.

Shizuri paid Frenda no mind. She was too focused on the recent turn of events at the restaurant. The embarrassing incident aside, something very important had happened, she had reunited with her little brother for the first time in over a decade. However, said reunion did not go as she originally thought it would. For whatever reason, Touma didn't recognize her at all. In addition, it appeared that the reports she received regarding his daily life had been falsified. Nothing she witnessed today matched up with what she was told.

Clearly, there was something amiss going on, and it all pointed towards the higher ups of Academy City. In exchange for leaving her brother to work as the city's underground checks and balances system, she was promised that Touma would be well taken care of and provided with a normal school experience and she would be kept up to date with his status. Someone was not keeping their end of the bargain, and it was certainly not her.

The city was keeping Shizrui in the dark about something, and she needed answers. It was clear she wasn't going to get them from the higher ups. They've been feeding her false information long enough. There was only one person she could even hope of trusting in Academy City's underworld, and it was time to pay him a visit.

* * *

Following the incident at Joseph's, Mikoto was rightfully angry. As she, Kuroko, and Touma made their way to Saten's dorm, she didn't say a word to her roommate. Understanding that she may have gone to far earlier, Kuroko respected her idol's wishes throughout the entire trip, keeping her distance. Touma walked between the two girls, acting as a buffer to prevent any further incidents, with Mikoto at his right and Kuroko at his left. Thankfully, Mikoto's mood improved greatly once they reached Saten's place.

"Hey, it's us!" Mikoto called through the door.

"Glad you guys came," Saten greeted, opening the door, "Come on in."

"What happened to Shirai?" Uiharu asked, noticing her friend's slightly messy hair and fresh electric burns.

"Don't worry about it," Touma insisted, "It's nothing she'd die over."

"Oh, you're finally here!" Index cheered, coming out from behind the corner, "Check out the amazing hot pot Ruiko got!"

In the middle of the dorm room was a short table with a portable burner and hot pot. Next to the table was Saten's bed, which had been set up with pillows and a blanket to emulate a sofa. Around the other sides of the table were several throw pillows for the guests' convenience.

"Wow, nice hot pot you've got here, Flipper," Touma complemented, "Where'd you get it?"

"I borrowed it from a friend of mine," Saten explained, "So, you ready to get that soup stock prepared?"

"I've got everything I need right here," Touma said proudly, holding up his grocery bag," I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me."

As Touma went into the kitchen to prepare the soup stock, the girls all took seats around the table and spread out dishes for everyone. Given the number of people expected to participate, the table was a bit crowded. However, the group made do as they were too excited by all the delicious food they were about to have to care.

"This is pretty exciting," Mikoto mused, "I bet we're the only people in the city having a hotpot party in this time of year."

"Now remember, this isn't a party," Kuroko reprimanded, "As it says on our permission slips, this is a study group."

"Right, nearly forgot about that," Mikoto laughed stiffly.

"Well, regardless of whether or not this counts as a party, getting hot food while it's hot out is good for the body," Uiharu noted.

"Oh, I can't wait any more," Index cried, "What did all of you bring? You have to tell me!"

"Easy there, Index," Saten giggled, "No need to rush."

"Well, if you're that curious, I had a bit of trouble deciding on what to bring, but the man at the meat counter suggested these," Mikoto explained, reaching into her bag.

Much to everyone's confusion, Mikoto pulled out a rather large stack of wood boxes. She dropped them on the ground next to her with a large thud, startling Touma in the kitchen.

"What was that?!" Touma yelled in a panic, peaking into the room.

"Don't worry, it's just a couple of boxes," Kuroko explained.

Taking a closer look at the boxes, Uiharu lifted the lid off of the top box to reveal it was filled with several slabs of raw beef. Each piece was a fresh, red color and marbled to perfection and the pieces themselves were all even cut into bit sized portions. The sight of such delicious food was enough to have Uiharu and Index watering at the mouth.

"Well, looks like some of us are happy with the ingredient selection so far," Touma chuckled.

"What about you, Uiharu?" Saten asked, "What did you bring?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Uiharu replied, breaking out of her trance, "I got use a huge variety of summer veggies, like okra and corn, as well as some mushrooms and tofu."

"Well, would you look at that," Touma mused, "Talk about a lucky combination. Those vegetables and the meat will complement each other nicely."

"I have something that will enhance I young lady's natural beauty!" Kuroko jumped in, "I think you'll all be quite impressed by what I've contributed."

"This I have to hear," Touma snarked, leaning against the door.

Based on Kuroko's sudden enthusiasm, Touma guessed they were in for another one of her episodes.

"So, what exactly did you bring?" Uiharu asked.

"Well, it is quite the story," Kuroko explained, "There I was, standing in the pet store with plum mice in my hands, completely at a lose for what to do."

"Plump mice?" Saten asked.

"Pet store?" Uiharu followed.

"Where the hell is the story going?" Touma inquired.

"However, it wasn't long before I had an epiphany!" Kuroko cheered, "At that moment, I knew I found the perfect ingredient of Sissy."

"And that ingredient is?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"The ingredient that I choose, is turtle!" Kuroko cried, slamming her package on to the table.

In front of everyone was a shrink-wrapped, Styrofoam tray filled with turtle meat. All of the individual, edible parts of the turtle cut up and spread across the tray, organized by type. They all surrounded the turtle's shell, which sat in the center of the tray.

"Turtle?" everyone asked in confusion.

"The soft collagen with enhance Sissy's fresh, youthful skin, making it even more beautiful than before! And that's not all," Kuroko explained, pushing a glass filled with red liquid to Mikoto.

"That looks like…" Mikoto trailed.

"Fresh, softshell turtle blood mixed with apple juice to make it easier to drink! Go ahead, gulp it right down!" the pigtailed girl encouraged, "One glass, and you'll be full of energy. No, you'll be positively bursting with vitality! It's possible you'll be so fired up that you won't be able to go to sleep tonight, and when that happens, I'll come and lie down beside you. Yes!"

That episode of "Kuroko the Pervert" ended just like every other episode, with Kuroko fried to a crisp, knocked out on the side.

"Well, might as well get this ready," Touma sighed, inspecting the hotpot, "Huh, this pot has dividers in it."

"Really? I didn't realize," Saten mused.

"Well, guess I don't have to put the type of soup stock to a vote then," Touma chuckled, "Honestly, I bought the ingredients for a whole variety of different types of stock since I didn't know what you were all bringing. Guess this means I'm preparing a different type of soup stock for everything."

"In that case, I'll help," Mikoto offered, getting out of her seat.

"No, it's fine," Touma claimed, "It's just soup stock. I can handle it myself."

"All the more reason to let me help," Mikoto insisted, "With your luck, something is bound to go wrong if I was to leave you alone, especially with all the lucky stuff happening to you within the last five minutes."

"Well, you've got me there," Touma conceded, "Alright. Come on, Mikoto. We've got to get a couple more pots of water boiling if we want to get all the soup stock ready."

"Right behind you, Touma," Mikoto replied jubilantly, following Touma into the kitchen.

As the two oldest students left the room, Saten and Uiharu were awestruck but what they just saw. From what they saw of the pair, their usual banter had subtly changed. Mikoto seemed much less aggressive regarding her treatment of Touma, and both seemed to act in a much more familiar manner, using each other's first names like it was nothing. It almost seemed like they were flirting. As for Kuroko and Index, the former was still knocked out, and the latter was too distracted by the prospect of more food to care.

A few minutes later, Touma and Mikoto exited the kitchen with four small pots of soup stock. Each was filled with a different type of stock, miso, pork, beef, and chicken. After pouring the stocks into the different chambers of the pot, the groups started dipping in their ingredients and digging in. Touma and Mikoto sat together on the bed, Kuroko sat at Mikoto right, Index sat at Touma's left, and Uiharu and Saten sat across from the eldest students.

Everything that went into the hotpot turned out delicious. The beef Mikoto brought cooked beautifully in the various soup stocks, coming out moist and tender. The vegetables went with each of the soup stocks very well, taking on hints of meat used to create the meat-based soups. Even the oddball turtle tasted delicious and provided an exotic flare to the whole meal. The group was so enthralled by the taste of the food, they nearly forgot to keep track of how many extra ingredients they had.

"I hope Haruee gets here before much longer," Saten mused.

"She shouldn't too long to get here," Uiharu insisted.

"I wasn't thinking," Mikoto admitted, "Should we wait for her?"

"I think we'll be fine," Kuroko said reassuringly, "We still have plenty of ingredients."

"Assuming that Index doesn't woof down everything before then," Touma pointed out, his eyes drifting towards Index to see her skewer five slices of beef with her chopsticks like they were a fork, "Hey, what did I tell you?! One piece at a time and only one mouthful every five seconds! You have to pace yourself and not eat everything before everyone has had their fill!"

"Sorry," Index squeaked, returning four slices of meat back to the hotpot, "Force of habit."

"I really have trouble figuring out if you've made progress on that or not," Touma deadpanned, earning a laugh from the rest of the group.

"You know, it's times like these that make me wonder why food tastes better when eaten as a group," Uiharu giggled.

"I think cooking it while we eat like this makes a difference too," Saten agreed, "I guess nothing beats homemade when it comes to cookies or hotpot, right Misaka, Kamijou?"

Having suddenly been put into the spotlight, Mikoto flinched and spilled a little bit of the soup she was collecting in her bowl. Said spilled on to Touma's lap, causing him to jump up at the sudden burning sensation. In the process, he ended up hitting his shin on the table and throwing his head into the wall behind him. The only saving grace during that turn of events was the fact that Touma's own bowl had been on the table rather than in his hands.

"Rotten luck," Touma whined in a whisper.

"I'm so sorry!" Mikoto cried, helping sit Touma upright, "All you alright, Touma?"

"Don't worry, Mikoto. I've survived worse," Touma said with a stiff laugh.

"Here, let me get that for you," Mikoto offered, pulling out a Gekota handkerchief.

"No, it's fine, I can handle it," Touma insisted, pulling out his own emergency handkerchief.

As the two oldest students dealt with the soup accident, Saten just watched them with a blissful smile, as if she had watched the world's best romantic comedy scene. On the other hand, Uiharu could only sigh at her friend's manipulative conversation skills. As for Kuroko and Index, the former was grinding her teeth at being left out and the latter was too busy helping herself to Touma's share care.

"Those two are so cute together," Saten said blissfully.

"You're pure evil, Saten," Uiharu reprimanded quietly.

While Touma tried to recover from his latest unfortunate incident, the doorbell ran to signal the arrival of another guest. Checking to door, Saten was pleased to find that Haruee had finally arrived.

"Hey everyone. Sorry I'm so late," Haruee apologized, "I didn't miss anything did I?"

"Aside from the usual antics, you didn't miss a thing," Saten replied, "Now come on in and have some food before Index eats it all."

"Did you get your errand taken care of?" Kuroko asked.

"Yup. I just needed to talk with my teacher, that's all."

"Have a seat. I'll get a bowl ready for you," Uiharu offered.

"So, Haruee, what did you bring to the party?" Touma inquired, still trying to mend his wounds.

"Yeah! I brought some noodles with me," Haruee replied, presenting her grocery bag.

"Oh, that sounds delicious!" Index cheered, "Come on, throw them in the pot already!"

The rest of the evening was filled with food and merriment among friends. While the group still had their fair share of hijinks, they found the hotpot party to be a pleasant change of pace and an enjoyable time, misfortune and all. It was an event that was sure to reinforce the group's already unbreaking bonds.

* * *

On the other side of District 7, Shizuri waited patently in the lobby of Heaven Canceller's hospital. After checking in with the front desk, it wasn't too long before the frog-faced doctor himself appeared on the scene.

"Ah, Shizuri Mugino. It's a pleasure to see you again," the doctor greeted, "Or would you prefer me to call you by your father's sir name."

"Cut the pleasantries. I came here for answers and you're the only person in this city that can be trusted to give them to me straight," Shizuri demanded, "So how about we cut to the chase."

"Very well then," the doctor nodded, "Please follow me."

After a quick trek through the hospital, the pair found themselves in Heaven Canceller's personal office. Sitting down at the desk, the doctor jumped through a couple of files before stopping at the largest patient file. The file itself belonged to none other than Heaven Canceller's number one patient, Touma Kamijou.

Moving aside, the doctor then offered Shizuri a seat in front of the computer, letting her take control.

"Please, take your time," the doctor suggested, "If you feel like you need more time to go through everything, I can provide you with a physical copy of your brother's records to take with you."

"Thank you," Shizuri replied, taking the seat and opening up the folder.

As soon as she saw how much information she was going to have to go through, she realized she was definitely going to need that physical copy to take home.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **At the top of a hill surrounded by dense forest was a simple Shinto temple. Suddenly, a man with unkept black hair, a red overcoat, and a large, edgeless broadsword on his back burst out of a Shinto temple.**

 **"Hey everyone! Welcome to our Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple! I am your host, Animan von Elysium X," The man yelled raising his blade, "And this is my sword, a sacred blade born from the collective power of three sibling blades, Mugen!"**

 **"Ahem," a young girl in with a hime cut in priestess robes coughed, quietly stepping out of the temple.**

 **"Of course, how can I forget about my dear assistant, Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami!" Animan introduced, resting his sword on his right shoulder.**

 **"It's a pleasure to be here," Himegami bowed.**

 **"So, Himegami, how does it feel to be remembered an made one of the most reoccurring characters in this entire story?" Animan asked.**

 **"I'm a bit conflicted, honestly," the girl admitted, "Normally, this role is given to the girl with an impossible route that has no chance with the main protagonist."**

 **"Hey, don't be so down about it. At least you get to show up more often," Animan encouraged.**

 **"I think you should be more concerned with yourself, master," Himegami pointed out, "You have a horde of angry followers climbing up the temple, angered by your extended absence."**

 **"Don't worry, I've got this," Animan replied, walking to the edge of the stairs leading to the temple.**

 **As he stared at the horde quickly climbing up the stairs, Animan activated the true power of Mugen. The edgeless blade of the sword split in half and moved to either side of the sword's circular guard. From the guard erupted two blue laser blades running parallel to one another, extending the length of the sword to twice its original size. The guard itself ignited with the same light as the blades, projecting the kanji for "power" on its glass face. Pulling the sword back, the kanji changed to read "jail" and the lights became purple.**

 **"Mugen Jail!" Animan yelled as he swung the blade at the horde, emitting a purple wave of energy.**

 **As soon as the wave passed over the horde, every individual person was restricted with a set of purple energy chains. Pulling the blade back again, the kanji changed to read "storm" and the lights changed to a brilliant white.**

 **"Mugen Cyclone!" the wielder yelled with a spin, producing a whirlwind that blew the horde off the hill.**

 **Finally, the kanji changed to read "armor" and the lights became orange.**

 **"Mugen Armor!"**

 **With one final swing, a wave of orange energy passed over the flying horde, enveloping them in a protective glow as they fell to the bottom of the hill.**

 **"Well, that takes care of that," Animan said, deactivating his sword.**

 **"Please join us next time for the Kamijou sibling reconciliation in 'Truth is Stranger than Fiction'," Himegami said with a bow.**

 **"Later, everyone!" Animan yelled with a wave.**


	39. Truth is Stranger than Fiction

**Over a month later, but I'm still here! Sorry too keep you all waiting.**

 **Because of the nature of this chapter, it was really difficult to put everything together in a way that feels natural. After all, not everyone has an older sibling that disappeared from their lives to work for a criminal underworld, and even fewer people are as forgiving as Touma Kamijou. You know the old saying, "Write what you know"? This was a case where I wasn't writing what I knew, so a lot thought had to be put into this chapter. There was also the distraction of "Torna~The Golden Country", but that's not important now. At least it's done now.**

 **Before we get started, I would like all of you to look up "Elysium of the Blue Sky" from the Xenoblade Chronicles OST. This is part of a little experimental addition for this story, musical accompaniment. I've seen it done before, and I figured I'd test the waters a little bit with this story. If it works out and enough people like it, it might become a regular thing, so please, give it a shot and give me some feedback on how it works out. It won't be an overly common thing, just something for more emotional moments.**

 **For now, let's get some reviews taken care off. Man, it's been a while since I did this.**

 **Mercenory: Sorry to keep you waiting... again.**

 **felixiglesias8: Next chapter is the offical start of the Angel Fall Arc, so please bare with me.**

 **sdino95: I'm not stopping any time soon.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Sorry for the long wait again. At least it was shorter.**

 **MrQuestionMark: Yeah, Xenoblade is a big time sink. Especially now with Torna~The Golden Country. I just can't put a Xenoblade game down. Well, the true reunion is this chapter, so strap in, get my super feelsy song recommendation ready, and prepare for an emotional roller coaster (probably).**

 **icedshadows: Thanks! Also, lame pun is lame. XD**

 **RyuAssassin: Will do! Not leaving any time soon!**

 **SoulReaver267: I don't plan on abandoning this project any time soon. This is my passion project right now! Glad to see you like all the subtle changes to Touma and Mikoto's dynamic. Just wait until the Three Stories Arc.**

 **RPGPersona: Glad you liked the chapter. I really wanted to capture the confusion of the situation in the restaurant, which is why I wrote it mostly from Shizuri's perspective. I always liked a plotline that jumps between different character's perspectives, but it annoys me when they have headers telling the reader whose perspective it is. I trust my readers to figure it out based on context clues and if feels much more natural. Also, the types of broth were less about preference and more because of my limited knowledge about food. The only vegetable broth I knew was Miso, which I knew was bean paste.**

 **ahsoei: This chapter will be dedicated to Touma and Shizuri, and Angel Fall will mainly be shaken up by Shizuri's presence.**

 **RedSS: Wow that is a lot of sins on my part. Jokes aside, I'm glad I managed to write a satisfying chapter. Hopefully, this next one will be just as enjoyable. I should note that Heaven Canceller has always been more involved than he lets on, so all those files aren't necessarily medical files.**

 **Guest (1): You're welcome.**

 **Guest (2+5): Glad you liked the chapter. It was an interesting theory to say the least. Too bad it had a few discrepancies that ruined it.**

 **Guest (3): Sorry to keep you waiting!**

 **Guest (4): You're welcome.**

 **fencer29: Well, you know me. I've always loved that classic Index wackiness. To be fair, Heaven Canceller has always been more involved than he lets on. He's sort of a neutral party in everything. And it's not just medical records, it's everything. Angel Fall is still in play. It's actually the next arc planned, as you'll see in this chapter.**

 **Xeno01: I get the feeling you've only seen the anime and never read a single light novel. You seem to have a bit of a misconception of Touma. I've been trying to emulate how Touma normally acts the entire story, the only real differences is how events play out with slightly difference character relationships. There are some really deep parts of Touma's character that are only visible in the inner monologues of the Light Novel and hidden even deeper in the finer details of the anime. I have been considering an AccelXSaten ship. I might do it once Accelerator and Touma properly reconcile.**

 **mohamadstar94: Sorry to keep you waiting!**

 **TeotakuFantasia: I hate abandoning projects, especially when they pick up so much steam. It's nice to know my story is in the 10% worth shattering illusions for. It's important to remember that Heaven Canceller is far more involved than he leads most people to believe. He has connections to Aleister, after all. Everything else will be answered in this chapter here.**

 **Generation Zero: Glad you liked the chapter. The restaurant scene was the heavy hitting scene of the chapter, and where most of my focus in writing when. The second half was mainly to establish Touma and Mikoto's new dynamic since how she feels is out in the open now.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Oh, a light freakout would be putting mildly. I'd say it be a bit closer to existential crisis. You know, given the fact all her efforts have been for nothing.**

 **Sergio644: You might be a bit disappointed, but maybe you won't. That's for you to decide.**

 **Handsomistic1: Yeah, that scene always got a laugh out of me.**

 **Kami (Guest): Sorry to keep you waiting!**

 **swagmaster (Guest): Not planning on stopping.**

 **Totsalu (Guest): The name was changed to Yuri since the original parody name "Yuriko" was feminine, so I altered it to be masculine. I plan to have Hamazura involved for sure.**

 **mohamadstar94: Insert Ninjago "Wo-ho" clip here.**

 **scarletrailgun (Guest): Here you go!**

 **Now that that's out of the way, Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 39: Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Going through all of her brother's personal records was no small task. Not surprising, considering Shizuri had ten years' worth of potentially falsified data that she had to cross-reference. After getting through the first five years of records, it had gotten very late at night and she had still not found anything contradictory between Heaven Canceler's records and the ones she was given. At that point, she decided to just pack away the physical copy of the records and go through the rest of them at home. Said physical copy was thick enough to be a full book lasting over a hundred chapters while still receiving additions.

After several more hours of read, Shizuri still had yet to find any discrepancies between the stories she had been told about her brother and the truth. However, at around midnight, she finally found an event that was omitted from her own records. About a year ago, he had come in contact with Misaki Shokuhou, the fifth ranked Level 5, and had met up with her regularly since then. Those meetings eventually became extremely infrequent following an incident involving Mental Out that left Touma with brain damage and unable to create and retain memories of her.

This first discovery left Shizuri with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was furious that another spoiled, Tokiwodai princess of a Level 5 had been so close to her brother. Girls constantly approaching him was bad enough, but Tokiwodai girls were by far the worst kind, not to mention this specific girl caused him to be seriously injured and left with an irreversible condition. On the other hand, said irreversible condition left him unable to remember Shokuhou, so at least kept them separated from one another.

Regardless of what she thought about Touma meeting a second Tokiwodai Level 5, Shirzuri knew this confirmed that Academy City had been purposefully censoring and generally tampering with the reports she was promised regarding Touma's everyday life. The fact that the first event that was censored was clearly one she was going to disapprove of only stacked more evidence against the city.

Aside from the exclusion of Touma's previous and now infrequent interactions with Mental Out, everything else following the event seemed to check out. However, it was after she reached the reports regarding events from earlier that summer that Shizuri realize just how much she had been lied to. To her horror and rage, everything since just before the summer break had been tampered with. After saving a Judgement Officer and two other civilians from a Graviton Bombing, Touma had been recruited into Judgement and been heavily involved. He had fought a giant AIM Burst Monster, helped disband and arrest a whole Skill-Out faction, and was instrumental in the shutting down of multiple illegal experiments, including Project Level 6 Shift.

With his heavy involvement with law enforcement came increasingly frequent and severe injuries and visits to the hospital. Just recently, he had been let out after recovering from his scuffle with Accelerator. Not too long before then, he had been checked in to the hospital after having his right arm chopped clean off. However, it was his incident on July 28 that broke Shizuri's heart. On that day, Touma was checked into the hospital with total amnesia.

Due to some unknown circumstances, Touma had been admitted into the hospital with extensive brain damage. The damage wiped his episodic memory clean, leaving him unable to remember any event prior to waking up in the hospital. His memories of everyone he knew, his friends, his family, had been permanently and thoroughly erased.

As soon as Shizuri finished the most recent report, she let the floodgates open. For the first time in years, she allowed herself a moment of weakness and cried. Although the act of crying was easier to do with no one to see her, it did not make the weight of what she was feeling any easier to bare. After disappearing from her brother's life, Touma had faced more hardship than she ever could have imagined. For the sake of her brother, she gave up her morality, so Academy City would insure his safety, but the city didn't do a single thing. He always had it bad, but his inclusion in Judgement had only exposed him to more danger. It was only after he joined Judgement that the frequency and severity of these incidents increase. Academy City should have stopped him from joining Judgement in the first place to keep him safe.

"No. It's my fault," Shizuri whispered to herself, "If I had stayed with him, if I had protected him with my own two hands like I was supposed to, I could have done something. If I had been there, he would have been safe."

Reaching into her pocket, Shizuri pulled out the old photo of her and Touma from when they first arrived at Asunaro Park. Touma had such a bright and joyous smile on his face back then. Shizuri would have given anything to see that smile again. Holding the photo close to her chest, the fourth ranked Level 5 steeled her nerves and made a decision. Academy City failed to keep its end of the bargain, so now it was about time she broke her end.

* * *

The next day, Touma trudged into the Judgement Office with an exhausted look on his face. It was only noon and he had just got out of his remedial class, but it appeared he already had his day's worth of misfortune. His condition did not go unnoticed by the rest of the office's regular visitors, who quickly expressed their concern. The only person not present was Konori, who had gone out to run an errand not too long before hand.

"Geez, Touma. What happened to you?" Mikoto asked.

"It's nothing, really," Touma insisted, sitting at his desk, "I'm just being forced to pay the price for an Academy City rumor and conspiracy."

"Ooh, a new rumor! Please, do tell us more," Saten begged.

"Well, apparently, my recent activities this summer are causing a lot of unrest, especially with the higher ups," Touma explained, throwing Mikoto a subtle glance, "Including a rumor about a certain unknown Level 0 beating the most powerful Esper in a fight."

"Well, you have beaten Sissy multiple times before. Plus, your ability is the universal counter to all Esper abilities," Kuroko noted, "I honestly wouldn't put it past you to actually be able to do it."

"I still want another rematch!" Mikoto added.

"So, what are they making you do?" Uiharu asked.

"They're making me leave the city for a little bit, at least until everything settles down," Touma explained, taking out a beach resort brochure, "Miss Komoe arranged for me to go to this beach resort while I wait this out. She even went out of her way to get my parent to join me there."

"Well, isn't that sweet," Uiharu cheered, "A Kamijou family reunion at a beach resort. Looks like you lucked out for once."

"Yeah, lucked out," Touma said in a low voice, his eyes downcast, "A Kamijou family reunion, where my entire immediate family gathers together to enjoy each other's company."

Noticing Touma's suddenly depressed mood, the girls couldn't help but feel like they hit a nerve.

"Did I say something wrong?" Uiharu asked, "It wasn't about the luck remark, was it?"

"No, that's not it," Touma replied.

"Oh, I think I get it now," Mikoto realized, "It's about your missing sister, isn't it?"

"Oh no! I'm sorry," Uiharu apologized, "I forgot you were still looking for her."

"No, its fine," Touma insisted, sparring a glance at Mikoto, "I guess recent events have just got me thinking about her more."

Mikoto knew exactly what he was talking about. It was all because of the Level 6 Shift incident. While trying to help her and her own sister, Touma ended up coming face to face with his long-lost childhood friend, Yuri Suzushina, now known as Accelerator. A prodigy Esper at a young age, Yuri had disappeared from Touma's life to undergo special training. Unfortunately, that special training had twisted the supposedly sweet, harmless young boy into the most experienced killer in the whole city. After seeing his friend twisted in such a way a seeing Mikoto adopt a literal older sister role, it was no surprise that Touma was thinking more about his own sister.

Shizuri had disappeared from Touma's life in a similar way to Yuri. She was a prodigy Esper, having reached Level 3 while she was only in elementary school, and then suddenly disappeared with out a trace. Did she abandon Touma for special training? Did she become twisted in the same way as Yuri?

Thankfully, the socially inept Index found a way to lighten the mood using her usual, naïve, childish charms.

"Hey, Touma," Index cut in, "Can I come with you?"

"Sorry, I don't think that would be a good idea," Touma apologized halfheartedly.

"Why not?" Index whinned.

"Think about it for a second, would you?" Touma begged, "You're an illegal immigrant in Academy City with no official documentation. If I tried to take you out of the city, we'll just get stopped at the gate. Not to mention how troublesome it would be if I, a Judgement Officer, was caught doing something like smuggling an outsider."

"Actually, that's not entirely true," Kuroko cut in.

"Huh?"

"That's right, I was going through some files the other day, and I found something strange," Uiharu added, pulling up a webpage on her desktop, "Apparently, Index has a fully registered and legitimate resident's file on the database. It even has her photo and everything."

"Wait, seriously?!" Touma yelped, jumping over to Uiharu's desk.

Pulled up on Uiharu's monitor was, indeed, a full file on one Index Librium Prohibiturm. Everything seemed to be there, including her name, description, and a photo. Best part was the entire file looked completely genuine. There were no signs of it being a fabrication whatsoever. However, there was one little about the file that irked Touma.

"Why are you holding a leek in your photo?" Touma asked the young nun, "In fact, why do you have a photo at all? We've never taken you to get official registered."

"Well, there's a bit of a funny story behind that," Index explained with a nervous giggle, "A while back, Ruiko and I went grocery shopping and I was carrying one of the bags. On the way home, we got separated and I got lost. I eventually got hungry and ended up eating most of the bag before a main in a black suit and sunglasses offered to help me. He took me through a shortcut through a photo studio where I got a quick photo taken with the one thing I didn't eat before he led me back to Ruiko's dorm."

"You don't seriously expect us to believe that, do you?" Touma deadpanned.

"What?! It's true!" Index insisted.

"Actually, there is some truth to that," Saten cut in, "I took my eye off her for a second and she was gone. I looked frantically before I ended up back at the dorm and found her there munching on the leek."

"Wait, so you got lost, followed the directions of a stranger in black, took a random picture at his request, a picture mind you that is now a part of your official Academy City residence profile, and didn't find anything suspicious about it?" Kuroko inquired.

"Is that bad?" Index asked cluelessly.

Everyone just gave her a blank look.

"Okay," Touma sighed, pulling out his journal, "Next goal is to teach you how to properly deal with strangers. Going to have to write that down."

"Well, on the bright side, you should be able to get her out of the city with no problem now," Uiharu encouraged.

"I guess," Touma chuckled under his breath at the absurdity of the situation, "Alright Index, you win. I'll take you on the trip with me."

"Yay! I get to go to the beach!" Index cheered.

"You're all as lively as usual," Konori mused, entering the office, "What got you all excited?"

"Kamijou and Index are going to a beach resort paid by the city. The even get to meet with Kamijou's parents," Kuroko explained, "Honestly, I'm a bit jealous."

"Of who, exactly?" Saten asked with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuroko replied.

"It's nothing to be jealous about," Touma sighed, "The city's just trying to kick me out for a little bit until all the commotion I've caused with Judgement work and the like blows over."

"Well, at least you get a free vacation out of it," Konori encouraged.

"Well, I better get back to work," Touma said, returning to his normal desk in the corner.

Soon enough, everyone else did the same thing, returning to either their desks or congregating at the center coffee table. Work at the Judgement office continued as per usual, a quite calm washing over the workspace. Everything was exactly as it should have been. At least, that's how it was until there was a knock on the door.

Not wanting to be a simple loiterer, Mikoto volunteered to open the door. She would soon realize her mistake as soon as she did so. Once she did, Mikoto found herself face-to-face with one of her least favorite people, the fourth ranked Level 5, Shizuri Mugino. Based on the expression on the older girl's face, she was not happy to see Mikoto either.

"Oh, it's you," Shizuri said with disgust in her voice, "Why am I not surprised."

Unlike her counterpart, Mikoto was very surprised by the Level 5's appearance. Why would the Meltdowner come to a Judgement Branch Office of all things? Based on what she saw in their battle, Mikoto would have expected the other Level 5 to just vaporize whatever problem she was faced with. Heck, she was probably the cause of a large portion of the unreported crimes in the city.

"Hello there, miss," Konori greeted, come up behind Mikoto, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actual, yes," Shizuri replied in a friendly manner that Mikoto had not expected, "I'm here to file a missing person's report."

Seeing as the dangerous Level 5 was no longer focused on her, Mikoto used the opportunity to excuse herself and retreat to the coffee table with Saten and Index. As much as she wanted to get as far away from the Meltdowner as she could, the Railgun couldn't just leave all her friends alone with her Out of everyone there besides her, only a third of them had an Esper ability of Level 3 or higher, and only Touma had a feasible chance of taking on the experienced fighter. The risks and stakes were too high for her to just leave her friends, so Mikoto chose to stay close in case something went down.

"Do you have any information on this missing person?" Konori asked politely.

"Yes. I have this photo, but it's a couple of years old," Shizuri replied, holding out a small polaroid sheet, "It's of me and my little brother."

Peeking out from behind the couch, Mikoto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the conversation. Why in the world would the Meltdowner be reporting a missing person? Not to mention the fact that the photo she was using was several years old, suggesting that the person had been missing for a long time. And since when did the fourth ranked Level 5 have a little brother? Shizuri was one of the more secretive Level 5's, but knowledge like that would be pretty common, or at the very least be a harder to find rumor. Mikoto's confusion only grew when she saw Konori freeze up at the photo and call Touma over.

"Something the matter?" Touma asked, curious as to why he in specific was called in.

"You might want to take a look at this," Konori replied, averting her eyes as she handed the photo over to him.

Taking the photo, Touma took a quick glance at it before freezing up himself. His eyes then slowly moved away to photo the girl that owned it before he whispered out a single word.

"Sis?" he asked, barely audible to the rest of the office.

To Mikoto's complete surprise, Shizuri gave Touma a soft, genuine smile.

"Hey Touma," she greeted gently, "I see you've gotten taller."

"Eh?" the rest of the office's inhabitants cried, "EH?!"

"You're Kamijou's sister?!" Saten yelled.

"I can hardly believe it!" Uiharu screamed.

"I can't believe I made a fool of myself in front of such an important individual!" Kuroko cried.

"What do you mean, 'made a fool of' yourself?" Index asked.

Mikoto was the only one of the girls to not cry out in some sort of reflexive yell. For her part, she was completely speechless at the revelation. The fourth ranked Level 5 who tried to kill her not even a week ago was Touma's sister? The concept was too absurd to comprehend. How could someone like Touma, who chases after a happy ending for everyone, be related to a hardened assassin like Shizuri. Touma always described her as sweet and caring, if a little overprotective, but the Meltdowner was anything but those things. And why didn't she reveal herself yesterday at the restaurant? It just didn't make sense to her.

Unable to accept such a revelation so easily, Mikoto quickly jumped out of her seat and grabbed Touma's arm, tugging him towards the back of the room.

"Hey, Touma, mind if I have a word with you?" Mikoto asked.

"Huh? Why?" Touma replied, still shaken up by the recent revelation.

"Just come with me. It's important," Mikoto whispered before turning Shizuri and dragging Touma away, "I'm sorry, I just need to talk to him for a second."

Despite the somewhat miffed look she got from Shizuri, Mikoto dragged Touma to the farthest corner of the office. As soon as they were out of earshot, the two of them whispered amongst themselves as to keep the information between them.

"Touma, this is bad," Mikoto whisper.

"You're telling me," Touma agreed, "I just found out that my sister apparently flaunts her underwear to passersby in public."

"Seriously?! That's what you're concerned about?!" Mikoto quietly screamed.

"Wouldn't you be concerned if any of your 9969 sisters regularly showed people what was under their skirts?" Touma inquired.

"True, but that's not the problem here," Mikoto explained, "The night before you first met one of my sisters, I attacked on of the facilities that was in charge of Project Level 6 Shift. For extra security, they hired a Level 5 and her team to protect the facility. I barely got away alive."

"So, what?" Touma asked, still not following.

"That girl claiming to be your sister was that Level 5," Mikoto revealed, "She was dead set on killing me, blathering about proving she was the stronger one."

"What?" Touma asked, his face contorting in shock, "You mean to tell me that while you were running around like some sort of Mysterious Heroine X, my sister was trying to kill you?"

"That's why I'm telling you this. For all we know, she's just an imposter hired to kill you or something," Mikoto stressed, "I seriously don't trust her, and neither should you."

"Maybe so," Touma agreed, "but what choice do I have? This is the only lead on my sister that I've found since she disappeared ten years ago. This could be my only chance of finding her."

Looking at Touma's eyes, Mikoto couldn't help but notice them twitch ever so slightly. There was a sadness in then that she didn't often see from the misfortunate boy. No matter what life threw at him, he usually just took it in stride and faced it with exasperation at the very most. Bad luck never brought him down, but the possibility of losing his chance to find his sister did. It was a look that Mikoto felt didn't suit him.

"Alright, fine," Mikoto conceded, "But you better have tests done on her to make sure. I don't want you doing this halfway."

"Thanks, Mikoto," Touma cheered, grabbing both of her hands in graditude, "You're the best."

"Thank me after you prove she's the real deal," Mikoto complained, almost begrudgingly forcing Touma off her.

Having finished their talk, Touma and Mikoto rejoined the rest of the office and faced Shizuri.

"Okay then, miss," Touma greeted his supposed sister, "We're going to have to ask you to take a few tests before I can accept your claim to being my sister. The photo is a good start, but not enough."

"When you were three, a man stabbed you in the back, so mom and dad sent us to Academy City so you could escape the superstitions of bad luck back home," Shizuri replied flatly.

"…Okay. I admit, that's a good start, but I was talking more along the lines of a DNA test or something," Touma replied.

"It will get you to believe me, sure," Shizuri responded instantly with no resistance.

'Man she is confident,' everyone else in the office thought collectively.

"I'll contact your doctor, Kamijou," Uiharu said as she dialed on the phone.

* * *

An hour later, the group found themselves waiting in the office of one Heaven Canceller. After Uiharu called the doctor ahead of time with news of finding someone claiming to be Touma's sister, the frog faced doctor arranged for the pair to have a DNA test. Unknown to anyone other than Shizuri and the doctor himself, the older Level 5 was undeniably telling the truth. All the DNA test would do was provide the proof.

After arriving at the hospital, the long-separated sibling each provided a hair sample for the doctor to run his DNA tests. The group was then told to wait in the doctor's office until the tests were done. Thankfully with Academy City's advanced medical equipment, the DNA analysis didn't take more than half an hour to complete and Heaven Canceller quickly returned with the results.

"So, doctor," Touma asked, "What do the results say?"

"Well, unfortunately, our primary test proved to be tricky due to the data we had to work with and how short notice this test was," the doctor explained, "Since a DNA map from the parents is not required for any student to enroll in Academy City, we had not base DNA maps to compare the similarities of your genetic code."

"Rotten luck," Touma huffed under his breath.

"However, that's not to say we didn't find results," Heaven Canceller added, "Comparing both Kamijou and Mugino's DNA maps side-by-side, we found that the two of them share about 50% of the same nuclei DNA, putting them in the range of siblings of the same parents."

"But that could be a coincidence, right?" Mikoto asked desperately, earning a glare for Shizuri, "Human DNA does have 0.1% diversity."

"True, but that's not the case with mitochondria DNA," the doctor countered, "All mitochondria are inherited solely from the mother, and you two just so happen to have identical mitochondria DNA. Coupled with the fact that Mugino happens to be Shiina Kamijou's maiden name, I'd say you have a strong case."

"So that means…" Kuroko whispered.

"Shizuri Mugino is the long missing Shizuri Kamijou," Heaven Canceller confirmed.

"Congratulations Kamijou…s," Saten cheered.

"Isn't this great, Touma?" Index inquired.

Touma didn't respond. If he were being honest, he didn't know how he should feel. On one hand, he had finally found the sister he had been searching for over the last ten years. At long last, he had found his loving if a bit over protective older sister. He should have been happy for that even if he couldn't properly remember her.

However, the information Mikoto had given him put that into question. From what Mikoto had told him, Shizuri had become a very dangerous individual. She had become a much more powerful Esper, a Level 5 in fact, but she used that power to work as a hired gun, accepting jobs from the likes of the researchers behind Project Level 6 Shift. She even tried to kill Mikoto and was quite enthusiastic about it.

How did she get so strong? Why does she do such terrible things? How did she become so sadistic? All those questions cumulated into a single question. It was the question that everything about her disappearance went back to. Why did she leave him all by himself? The destress he felt over all of these questions was clearly visible on his face, prompting Heaven Canceller to usher the rest of the guests out of the room to give the siblings some time alone. Despite the girls' protests, especially those of Mikoto, the office was left empty, save for the two Kamijous.

The room was left quiet for a good minute, but to the brother and sister if felt like an eternity. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The two siblings sat in total silence, both unsure of what to say to the other. Eventually, Shizuri decided to break the tension and was the first to speak.

"I take it the Railgun told you about my profession?" Shizuri asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Just the part where you tired to kill her," Touma replied flatly, his eyes downcast.

"You must have a lot of questions."

"Just one really," Touma admitted, meeting his sister's gaze, "Why? Why did you do all this?"

"It's a long and complicated story," Shizuri answered.

"Well, I've got all day to hear it."

The younger brother focused squarely on the older sister, ready to hear every detail of her story. Even if she was some sort of hired assassin, Touma was going to hear her out. It wouldn't be right for him to dismiss her so quickly. She was family, after all.

Taking a pause to take a breath, Shizuri told Touma everything he needed to know.

"The day I left, a representative of Academy City's directing board approached me with an offer to give me special training in exchange for my services in a sort of checks and balances system in the city," Shizuri explained, "There are people in this city who would manipulate and exploit less fortunate citizens like you to gain power or achieve some other arbitrary goal. I agreed to this deal with the promise that you would be kept well protected and as far away from those dark forces as possible, so you could live a normal life like you always wanted."

"So why did you decide to come back all of a sudden?" Touma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for one, you didn't recognize me back at the restaurant. It's not like I got plastic surgery or anything, so you not recognizing me tipped me off pretty easily," Shizuri replied, "There were also inconsistencies in the reports I had received on your recent activities, such as you being in Judgement and knowing the Railgun. Once I realized that the city hadn't been properly upholding their part of the deal, I figured I didn't have to keep mine. Besides, what were you expecting me to do knowing you had amnesia?"

"So, you know about that?" Touma asked sheepishly.

"The restaurant incident tipped me off. It also helps that I can get most information thanks to my connections in Academy City's Underworld," Shizuri explained, "Who else knows?"

"Pretty much everyone who was in the room besides the chief and Index," Touma answered, "I wanted took keep it a secret from as many people as possible to not make them worry. Having my journal and people who knew me helps, but it's still a struggle at times."

"That's what I was worried about," Shizuri sighed, "This is why I came back. I thought that I could continue to keep you safe from a distance but look at everything that had happened to you while I was gone, especially within the last few months since joining Judgement."

"What are you saying?" Touma asked, confused.

"I'm saying I want you to leave Judgement," Shizuri replied in a firm voice.

"What?!" Touma cried, "I can't leave Judgement!"

"This isn't your choice to make," Shizuri declared, "I'm your older sister, and it's my job to keep you safe. If you stay in Judgement, you'll only be put in more danger."

"Of course. it's my choice to make! It's something I'm deciding to do or not!" Touma yelled, standing up from his seat, "And from where I'm standing, you haven't been able to do anything to protect me for the ten years! You've been gone the entire time!"

"I left because it was all I could do to protect you!" the elder of the two retorted, getting out of her seat as well, "I've spent the last ten years working for Academy City's Underworld so you wouldn't have to face the suffering the corrupt powers of this city would unleash. Instead, you go diving head first into Judgement and directly challenge those powers every time they make something public!"

"That's why I have to stay in Judgement!" Touma screamed, "I can't just stand by and watch someone else suffer!"

That last scream actually managed to surprise Shizuri. She was left completely speechless at her brother's resolve. She had never seen Touma so determined to defy someone before, especially not her.

* * *

 **At this point, start playing "Elysium of the Blue Sky" from the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST.**

* * *

The two siblings stood in silence for a moment before Touma dropped back down into his seat. After taking a quick breath, he spoke his reasons, his resolve, his role in all of this.

"All my life, I've faced so much suffering because of my rotten luck," Touma began, "Even after my amnesia, I knew I was in store for an endless string of bad luck."

"That's why I want you to leave Judgement," Shizuri cut in," You've suffered enough for one lifetime. You don't have to throw yourself into more suffering just for a volunteer job."

"That's the thing. Because I've suffered so much, I understand more than anyone what it feels like to suffer because of circumstances and realize just how much unnecessary suffering there is in the world. Be cause of that, I can't just stand by while someone suffers in front of me," Touma admitted, "Judgement helps me to reach as many people as I can and stop that suffering."

"Still, you don't have the power to help everyone," Shizuri argued, sitting down, "Even if you wanted to, there are some things you can't do anything about, especially as a Level 0. You may have your right hand, but that can only do so much."

"That's where your wrong," Touma countered, "In the short time I've been in Judgement, I've seen people do some amazing things, even if they are low level Espers. Uiharu, the girl with the flower headband, she's the best computer goalie in the entire city. Saten, the one with the single flower in her hair, she's a Level 0, but that made her immune to an Anti-Esper weapon and she saved everyone caught in it. Despite being lower leveled, the posses a power that even you lack."

"And that is?"

"Power to protect. Their will to protect others gives them the strength to overcome what would bring harm to those they wish to protect," Touma declared.

"I have you," Shizuri countered, "I've been doing whatever I could to protect you from the Underworld."

"Maybe, but you never did the actual protecting. You just trusted Academy City to keep their end of the bargain and do it for you," Touma pointed out, "I think it's at least part of why Mikoto managed to escape you even though she was exhausted that night. She had something she had to protect. It's something I wish you had. Mikoto told me about how you kept ranting on about how much power meant to you and it reminded me of the promise we made back then."

"You still remember that?" Shizuri asked, confused.

"My journal, remember?" Touma shrugged, "What was with that anyway? It was just a silly request made by a kid who didn't know better."

"Maybe, but it was all I had," Shizuri admitted, "I knew you would never approve of the things I did while working for the Underworld, but I wanted to give you something to be proud of me for. I just thought that if I ever saw you again, if I could just become the strongest like we promised, then maybe you would accept me as family again."

"Well, you're right about one thing. I don't approve of the things you've done working for the Underworld," Touma said, "However, I'm not going to hold it against you.

"What?" the elder sister asked, shocked by his response.

"I understand that you were only doing what you thought was right to keep me safe. I'm not different, really," Touma explained, "I've been lying to everyone I know about my memory lose since I woke up, all because I believe it to be the best way to avoid any suffering on their part."

"So, you won't leave Judgement, you're not going to hold anything against me, and you're willing to let me be a part of your life?" Shizuri asked.

"Of course," the younger brother replied, "You're my sister, after all, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you dictate my life choices."

"In that case, I'll just have to keep a closer eye on you," Shizuri concluded, "If you won't leave Judgement, I'll just have to be there to make sure you stay safe. That is, if you want me there."

"Of course I want you there, but you have to make a promise for me," Touma insisted.

"And that is?"

"That you stop trying to claim the power of the strongest," Touma requested, "I don't want you causing anymore suffering for others. I just want you to be someone who protects."

"That will be easier said than done," Shizuri admitted, "Academy City's Underworld is extremely uncompromising. You either die working for it or die trying to leave. And the methods to prevent suffering for other usually involve inflicting that suffering to the perpetrators before they get the chance to."

"Can you at least try?" Touma pled.

"It will be difficult, but I can at least try to make incapacitate the default and kill the extreme," Shizuri replied.

"That's all I'm asking for," Touma sighed, "You know, I'm visiting mom and dad at a beach resort outside of the city by order of the city. Do you want to come along? I think they would be really happy to see you gain."

"I'd like that," Shizuri smiled.

"It's good to have you back, sis," Touma returned the smile.

Reaching into her pocket, Shizuri pulled out the polaroid photo of her and Touma in front of the Asunaro Park, the same photo she used to prove who she was, and handed to her brother.

"I think it's time you put this back where it belonged," she said.

Taking the photo, Touma pulled out his journal and started flipping through the pages. He stopped on the profile page labeled "Shizuri Kamijou" and returned the photo to its rightful place on the page. All of a suddenly, his journal felt heavier.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Wo-ho! Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Animan Temple! I'm you're host, Animan von Elysium X!" the host cried as he burst out of the temple doors.**

 **"Hello again, everyone," Priestess Number 1 , Aisa Himegami greeted as she calmly walked through the temple doors behind her master.**

 **"Some chapter, huh?" Animan asked, "Family reunions always give you the feels, especially when accompanied with music!"**

 **"Sorry to interrupt you, master, but angry followers are racing up the temple stair again," Himegami observed.**

 **"Fine, I'll handle it," the host signed as he pulled his sword off his back and slammed it into the ground, "Mugen Shield!"**

 **The entire temple was encased in a dome made of yellow, hexagonal energy panels, keeping the impatient follower out.**

 **"There, that should hold them," Animan said triumphantly.**

 **"For about five minutes," Himegami deadpanned.**

 **"Well, looks like we're out of time!" the master said hastily, "See you all in the next chapter, Freaky Beach Day!"**

 **"See you all soon," Himegami bowed.**


	40. Freaky Beach Day

**Sorry for the wait everyone. You know how it is. School, internship hunts, watching A Certain Magical Index III as it releases in both subtitles and English dub, grinding on NA FGO Halloween Event 2018.**

 **Well, all of that's behind us now. Now is the time to start the Angel Fall Arc, the obligatory "Freaky Friday" story line. (That's an obligatory story line right? ... Kinda? ... Well it feels like it is.)**

 **Anyway, let's answer some reviews before we get to the new chapter then, shall we?**

 **Mercenory: Really? Wow! Happy belated birthday!**

 **5waydragon: Oof, you might need to get the brain bleach for this chapter than. Don't worry, everyone's stories will merge in due time. "A Certain Strange Addition" doesn't just refer to Touma in Railgun. It brings together all the A, B, and C plots into an united story line.**

 **Xeno01: Well, I like to think I have a pretty solid read on Touma's character. I figured it would be his first reaction. I'm open to all types of ships so long as the aren't inherently squink. Even if they are, I'm usually pretty lax if they're mainly for jokes.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Oh, hell no! I'm totally fine with Motohara and Maika since that's mostly for a gag and they're adopted, but genuine brother/sister romance is a no go for me. While the Railgang isn't going to be at the beach resort, they will know about it. I can't help a quick gag if I can slip it in.**

 **SolanaLeonhart: Thanks! Glad you liked the chapter. I honestly had trouble putting it together since it's such a unique relationship, but I think I did it well enough.**

 **Bluejack222: (Insert Regular Show Character Group Shot Here) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!**

 **BakonoftheUnknown: Never a dull moment, right?**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Thanks! Also, (Insert Regular Show Character Group Shot Here) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, drama isn't one of my stronger suits, especially when it comes to relationship like this.**

 **Kim454: Glad you liked the chapter. I would say that was an interesting theory... if I actually knew what kind of ground it was supposed to be standing on.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you liked it. I do my research, and throwing in an Easter Egg or two really make writing this enjoyable. I would suggest you look back at the exact language of the Misaki Easter Egg. It's actually setting up for something I have planned for later on.**

 **RedSS: Wow that is a lot of sins. Honestly, I think I deserved most of them. Drama is not one of my stronger suits, and that chapter was nothing but original content. Not a very promising recipe.**

 **fencer29: You'd be surprised. At least in the anime, Touma's parent's looked completely unchanged for 16 years straight. I think you'll get a good laugh at who I decided to body swap with who.**

 **SoulReaver267: Sorry, I already had plans for how Angel Fall would go down. However, I don't think you'll be disappointed with what I went with instead.**

 **spartannob6: Ooh, sorry. Already had plans for that before the Sisters Arc ended.**

 **mohamadstar94: Glad you liked it.**

 **kagami dhusara: That meeting isn't going to be until after the Three Stories Arc. I already have plans on how that's going to happen.**

 **Guest (1): You're welcome!**

 **Guest (2): Sorry for the wait!**

 **TheTimeWalker94: Yeah, wishing him luck never ends well.**

 **anonimo (** **Guest): Hey, ships are my decision. I do what I want.**

 **Guest (3): Oh sure. I'll just look up "sister that abandons little brother to work in a criminal underworld under the pretense of protecting him". That will totally help me research this very unique character set up. Not like I don't read TV Tropes on a regular basis for fun.**

 **Chroma (Guest): Huh? That is a really somber and mysterious melody. Maybe I'll use it some day if I ever write a theme appropriate scene.**

 **Bornkiller9: Thanks. I've had things planned out for the Angel Fall Arc for a while, so those suggestions had already missed the window, but I think you'll like what you see anyway.**

 **Percyfan1998: There are some adjustments to how the timeline falls in place. Concrete dates are a pretty rare sight in "A Certain", so I use that to my advantage had just have even few quiet days between events. It helps that some arcs don't even last more than a 2-3 days. Glad you like the story so far.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: If I'm being honest, I do believe Touma and Shirou to be very similar characters with a couple of core differences. Guess that's why I love both of them. Yeah, the file reading part was honestly a bit weak. Could have done better, but what's done is done. The joke with Touma's priorities when it came to the reveal was one I had been waiting to make for a long time, so I'm glad it hit its mark. I had planned out the Angel Fall Arc a fair bit ahead of time, so those suggestions had to be turned down. I do think you'll like what I did put out.**

 **Wryyy: I'm not the biggest fan of brocon, but Shizuri will definitely be over protective.**

 **Generation Zero: Oh don't worry. I have big plans for the future.**

 **LazinessRules: Sorry for the wait.**

 **Guest (4)): I would answer that question if I could actually tell what the question is.**

 **jun (Guest): Sorry for the wait.**

 **Well, that took a while. Let's to do the disclaimer so we can get to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 40: Freaky Beach Day

It was picturesque summer day at the beach. The water was clear, the seagulls were calling, and the shore had all but been abandoned by everyone accept a single party of people. That party of people was none other than the recently reunited Kamijou siblings Touma and Shizuri, as well as the Sister-in-training Index. Index was off playing in the shallows of the beach while the siblings stayed farther inland. Shizuri was laying out in the sun working on her tan while Touma stayed in the shade to keep an eye on Index.

If Touma were to be honest, he wasn't all too excited to go on this vacation when he was first ordered to. After all, that meant pushing back on remedial classes and not getting as much work done as he would have liked. Even seeing his parents on the trip wasn't doing much for him. However, Touma's tune towards the trip changed with the last-minute return of his older sister. Being able to go a vacation with everyone in his family was one of the few blessings he has ever gotten. Because of his amnesia, Touma had no memories of family vacations with his sister since he only started the journal after going to Academy City and she disappeared not too long after. This complementary vacation/exile was the perfect opportunity to reconnect. Unfortunately, there was one little detail that made the experience more than a little awkward.

"Something wrong, Touma?" Shizuri asked from her place in the sun, "You don't look like you're enjoying this."

Touma spared his sister a glance for barely a second before averting his gaze, only long enough to grasp what she was wearing. It was a purple, violet, and white bikini that showed off her curves, of which she had developed many, and was accompanied by a matching, floral patterned sarong. Touma could not deny that his sister looked amazing in that suit but looking at her in it made him feel all kinds of awkward. To make matters worse, there was some other sort of newly awakened feeling in the pit of his gut that made him glad that no one else was at the beach that day.

"It's nothing," Touma denied.

"Don't lie to me. I can see you avoiding eye contact," Suzuri reprimanded.

'Should have figured a trained assassin would be extremely preceptive,' Touma thought to himself.

"Are you really that embarrassed to be at the beach with me?" the elder sister asked.

"How else am I supposed to react when I go to the beach with my recently found older sister who is surprising attractive for the first time in ten years?" Touma retorted indigently.

"Relax. If any guy were to try and hit on me, they'd be swimming in a pool of their own blood in a heartbeat," Shizuri replied.

"That's not exactly reassuring," Touma deadpanned, "When did you develop such a dark sense of humor?"

"How else do you expect me to react when I've been working in Academy City's Underworld for the last ten years?" Shizuri replied, parroting Touma's earlier question.

"Touché."

"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask. Why did you bring the nun along for the trip?" the sister inquired.

"It's a bit of a long story…" Touma trailed.

While he tried to keep calm on the outside, Touma was completely freaking out on the inside. With the sudden addition of his sister, he had been unable to think of an acceptable excuse for why he had brought Index along. He couldn't just go and tell her that magic was real, and he oversaw guarding a nun with a photographic memory of every magical text on the planet. Not only was the story rather hard to believe, even if Shizuri believed it, it would only cause her to worry about him twice as much since he'd be facing twice as many threats. Besides, he needed to maintain the secret of magic as best he could. The fewer people who knew, the better.

Thankfully, Index arrived just in time to dodge the question.

"Hey, Touma! Check out this cool hat I found in the ocean!" she cheered as she ran towards the siblings.

Thankful for the sudden interruption, Touma turned towards the young, swimsuit clad nun. Unfortunately, a second later he realized why the beach was so empty. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sign on the beach warning patrons about the recent jellyfish infestation. Soon after, he found out that what Index had found was not a hat but one of the many jellyfish swarming the waters, and she had just dropped in on his face. What followed next was a lot of stinging, screaming, a blasting.

After getting the jellyfish off Touma's face, the group quickly evacuated back to the resort they were staying at and requested their first aid kit. Touma now sat on the floor of their room while Shizuri treated the many sting marks and electron burns he got from the jellyfish incident. The entire time, Index apologized the causing so much trouble as she had never seen a jellyfish before and had no idea of how dangerous they could be. While Shizuri was a least a little miffed, Touma was rather understanding. Index may have had a photographic memory, but this was the first time she's seen the ocean. Coupled with the fact she was constantly on the run and getting her memory erased up until earlier that summer, it made sense that she had no idea.

As Shizuri finished treating Touma's injuries, one of the resort's staff stopped by the room and gave them some rather disappointing news. Apparently, the party set to join them, consisting of the Kamijou parents and their niece Otohime, would be running late and not arrive until tomorrow. Touma was pretty understanding about the news while Index couldn't help but whine a little. Only Shizuri remained quiet, not entirely sure how she should feel.

That night, while everyone was in their respective gender's bath houses, Index dropped a landmine of a question for the Kamijou siblings.

"Hey Touma, Shizuri, what are your parents like?" Index asked.

"That interested, are you?" Touma inquired from his side of the bathhouse wall.

"Just curious," Index admitted.

"You want to take this one, sis?" Touma requested, which translated to, "Please do something so she doesn't learn about my amnesia!"

"Let me think," Shizuri said wistfully, "I guess the simplest way to put is that Touma and I take after them quite a bit."

"How so?" Index inquired.

"Well, when we were kids, people always said Touma resembled our dad while I resembled our mom, both in looks and personality," Shizuri elaborated, "Though, dad always said Touma has mom's face, especially her 'thinking/worrying face'."

"Does that mean your dad is constantly gaining the attention of girls and gets in trouble for it?" Index asked.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Touma yelled from his side of the bath.

"Can't say for certain. We were too young to really notice back then," Shizuri admitted, "But if he did, mom was most likely the one to straighten him out. She can bet pretty scary when she gets mad."

"I can confirm that," Touma added, "A while back, I met someone whose older sister used to have a crush on dad when they were in high school. Mom apparently scared her and a bunch of other girls away."

"Your parents sure are interesting people," Index mused.

"Well, you'll see how interesting they can be when you meet them tomorrow," Touma replied.

That night, the party slept peacefully in their hotel room. However, Touma remained awake, unseen from behind the curtain that separated him from the girls. He was taking the time to write in his journal, a way for him to vent out his emotions in private.

 _For the first time since I've lost my memories, I will be meeting my parents face to face. This journal, which belonged to the previous me, has been helpful in helping me learn about them and I still write letters to them regularly, but I still have so many questions. There are only so many things that could have been put into words, and even then, there are gaps. Having Shizuri back in my life makes things even more complicated. Will we be a family just like before Shizuri and I went to Academy City, or have things changed to much for that to be possible?_

 _This road began with a blank memory and stretches on without end. It is plagued with Espers, magic, and things I have yet to comprehend. I have no choice but to walk down it. As long as I keep walking, I can hold out hope that I'll be able to live a normal life. That hope keeps me going. This is the road I must walk. If it crosses with those of people that my previous self knew, then I'll take it in stride. That is all that is left for me._

Closing his journal, Touma put it to the side and laid back on to his futon. Tomorrow was a big day. He could only hope he was mentally prepared.

* * *

The next morning, Touma woke up to the sound of the hotel phone ringing. Reluctantly, Touma picked up the phone and answered, moderately surprised that it was the hotel staff on the other end of the line. Apparently, his dad had called ahead and told the staff that he was on his was, and they in turn told Touma over the phone.

With news of his parents' arrival, Touma got out of his futon and exited his corner of the room to find Index and Shizuri still asleep. Somehow unfazed by the sound of the phone ringing, both were hidden under their blankets, only stirring slightly. Smiling to himself, Touma decided to leave the girls be. It would probably be best for everyone if he eased his parents into his sister's return before she made herself known. He didn't want the to freak out too much over it.

After cleaning himself up a little bit and changing out of his sleeping wear, Touma stepped outside waited just outside the hotel door. He was greeted with a sunny summer day, perfect for a family reunion. Not too long after stepping outside, Touma spotted a man walking up the path. A closer look revealed he's face to be one that Touma had seen many times in his journal. Without a doubt, it was the Kamijou patriarch, Touya Kamijou, Touma's father.

"Hey dad!" Touma greeted, walking down the hill to meet his father halfway.

"Touma!" Touya replied, giving his son a pat on the shoulder once they met, "You're looking well. Anything new happen?"

"You don't know the half of it," Touma chuckled, "You're looking well, too. It's good to see you."

"Well, I can't wait to here all about it. But first, I've got you something," Touya said as he searched his pockets.

After a little digging, the grown man pulled out a small idol on a chain. It was a small, bronze elephant wearing loop earrings and sitting cross-legged.

"I got this from my recent business trip to India not too long ago. It's apparently one of their gods," Touya explained, handing his son the souvenir.

"Really dad, another good luck charm?" Touma chuckled, still accepting the gift, "I appreciate it, but you don't have to get me a new one from every country you visit. You're going to go broke if you keep this up."

"Nonsense. I want to give these things," Touya insisted, "Who knows, they might actually bring you some good luck one day."

"Want me to take your bag?" Touma offered.

"I can handle it. You can take care of your mother's and Otohime's bags, though. They should be arriving soon."

The two Kamijou men stood side by side, awaiting the arrival of the rest of their family. As they waited, Touma glanced over at his father, lost in though. He had read a lot about his dad in his journal, allowing him to converse casually as if nothing happened. However, there was still a sense of longing in the depths of Touma's heart. This man was his father, but he still felt like only an acquaintance. There was just so much that was lost in his accident that couldn't be recovered through his journal. Touma didn't wish to know everything. All he wants is to feel like he knew his own family, like any son should.

"Sorry we came so late," Touya apologized, "You know how hectic moving can be."

"You guys moved?" Touma asked, not recalling anything about it in his journal.

"It told over the phone a few months ago. Remember?"

"Huh? Guess it slipped my mind."

Soon enough, Touma could see a young girl running up the path towards the hotel. She yelling his name at the top of her lungs, clearly excited to see him. No doubt, this was his little cousin, Otohime. From what he's read in his journal, Touma deduced Otohime to be an incredibly sweet middle school girl, if not a bit overly affectionate. Figuring that the two of them were pretty close, Touma ran up to her to meet he half way as to make their interaction as close to how it would have been if he still had his memories. He knew she would most likely jump at him for a hug, so Touma opened his arms, ready to catch her when the time came.

However, as soon as the young girl had been close enough for him to get a good look, Touma realized something was off. Instead of the short black hair that she had in his most recent photo of her in his journal, she had slightly longer chestnut hair. Her face it was completely off as well. While it was still a face he recognized seeing before, it was not the face of his cousin, but rather that of Mikoto Misaka.

Touma's cognitive thought went into complete shut down as the girl looking like Mikoto threw herself into his arms. He just stood there with a blank look on his face as the young girl nuzzled her face into his chest. He didn't whether to find the gesture sweet or creepy.

Desperately trying to sort everything out, Touma recalled how Mikoto had extreme objections to Shizuri coming along with him on this vacation. She even went as far as to insist on coming along with them. Touma understood why she was suspicious, his sister had tried to kill her only earlier that week, but he unwaveringly refused her request. This was supposed to be a family vacation, and the only reason Index was an exception to the rule was because Touma was technically her guardian. The only thing he could do to pacify the electrical girl was to promise regular video calls with her and the rest of their friends, just to make sure Shizuri didn't do anything fishy.

'Could she have snuck out of Academy City herself just to keep an eye on Shizuri?' Touma thought to himself, 'But if that's the case, why would jump me like this? I know she said she'd be going all out to get me to fall for her, but it not in character for her to be so affectionate. Zapper's usually pretty reserved.'

"I'm so happy to see you again, Touma! Did you miss me?" the young girl asked, "I'm so excited! We'll all go to the beach together, right? Right?"

"Uh, sure. Just one question," Touma stammered, "What are you doing here, Zapper?"

"Huh? Who's Zapper?" the girl who looked like Mikoto asked.

"I told you ahead of time, didn't I?" Touya asked, "I was bringing your cousin Otohime along with us for this trip."

"And I was happy to come along!" the girl Touya claimed to be Otohime cheered as she gave Touma another hug.

"Come on, quit it! Enough with the hugging," Touma begged as he tried to pry the girl off.

"Come now, Touma dear, there's no need for that," another voice said from just down the path, "Otohime is just really happy to see you because it's been so long."

Looking in the direction of the voice, Touma was shocked to see Index walking the path. She had the same sliver hair and blue eyes, but now wore a season appropriate sundress and hat as opposed to her usual (and uncomfortable) torn apart nun's habit.

"What the hell? What are you doing here, Index?" Touma asked, utterly confused, "You were still sound asleep in the room just a few minutes ago. How'd you get out here so fast, and from the opposite direction was well."

"What's gotten into you, Touma? Don't you recognize your own mother?" Touya inquired.

"Huh?" Touma replied, "You're kidding me, right? She looks like she's 15. How can anyone that young be someone's mother?"

"While I appreciate the complement, I'm getting concerned too, Touma dear," the woman claiming to be Shiina Kamijou said, "Are you alright?"

The air went silent for a good five seconds after everyone seemed to genuinely believe that the only strange thing was Touma. Realizing where he stood in the situation, Touma couldn't help but laugh at this turn of events.

"Oh, I get it," Touma said between laughs, "This is some sort of elaborate prank Shizuri set up while I wasn't looking, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about, son?" Touya asked, confused, "Your sister had nothing to do with this."

"Are you sure you're okay? Your behavior isn't normal," Shiina noted, "Why would you bring up your sister? You know she's been gone for the last… ten… years?"

In the midst of trying to figure out what Touma was talking about, Shiina found herself trailing off. She then dropped her bag on the ground, bringing her hands up to her mouth and looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong, dear?" Touya asked, confused as to why his wife was getting all worked up.

"Shizuri…" she whispered, taking a step towards the hotel.

The rest of the Kamijou family followed her intended path with their gazes and saw what exactly she was heading towards. Just a bit further up the path stood the newly returned Shizuri Kamijou. At least, that's what most of the family saw. In Touma's case, all he saw was his sister's blond friend from the diner in his sister's clothes.

"Hi mom, dad," the girl who was supposed to be Shizuri greeted meekly, "It's been awhile."

"Shizuri… is that really you?" Touya asked as he approached his daughter.

"Yeah, it's me," Shizuri replied.

"I can't believe it," Shiina whispered as she wrapped her arms around the girl, "My baby girl. You're really here. We thought you were gone forever. Where have you been all this time?"

"I'm sorry," Shizuri apologized, returning the hug tenderly, "I didn't mean to make you worry. It's a long story."

"That doesn't matter now. All that's important is that you're back," Touya insisted as he joined in the hug.

"Uncle Touya, aunt Shiina, who's this?" Otohime asked, approaching her hugging extended family.

"Uh? Oh, that's right, the two of you never got the chance to meet," Touya realized, "Otohime, this is your other older cousin, Shizuri. Shizuri, this is your little cousin Otohime. She was born around the same time you disappeared."

"So you're the Otohime Touma has been telling me about," Shizuri said with a smile as bent down to meet the younger girl.

"You're pretty. Are you really my older cousin?" Otohime asked innocently.

"It would seem so," Shizuri replied, "it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too!" Otohime chimed.

Touma could hardly believe what he was seeing. The family reunion had gone kilometers better than he could have hoped for. His parents didn't question Shizuri, far too over joyed to have her back to care. Shizuri instantly warmed up to Otohime, something he was unsure of given how bubbly his little cousin could be. Everyone in general felt like a genuine, normal family. The only issue was that they didn't look like it.

Apart from his dad, everyone in his family looked like someone completely unrelated to the recent turn of events. His mom looked like Index, his cousin looked like Mikoto, and his sister looked like her blond friend whose name he never got. The worse part was it didn't seem like it was an act either. As someone constantly living a lie, Touma knew good acting when he saw it. The girl that looked like Mikoto was too composed about being affectionate with him. If it was really Mikoto, the façade would have cracked the moment she jumped him. In addition, the way the girl who looked like Index acted was exactly how you would expect a mother who has just found her missing child to act. There was no way that could have been an act, especially with Index as the actress.

It was all too much for Touma to take in at once. He didn't even hear his parents calling out to join them in the reunion. Instead, he made quickly made an excuse that he forgot something in the hotel and needed to take care of it right away, making a bee line past his family and too his room. On the way there, he noticed that the hotel staff looked like one of the Sisters and Stiyl, an American reporter on television looked like Miss Komoe, US president Roberto Katze looked like Kuroko, and most frighteningly of all, Index looked like Aogami.

Dashing past the confused nun, Touma quickly dug through his things before he found what he was looking for, his laptop and his ODD. When it became apparent that he would have to leave the city, Yomikawa and Doctor Bakuya pulled a few strings to let him take the experimental weapon out with him. They figured it would be a good opportunity for Touma to test its more mundane uses, considering he would not be in the technical marvel that is Academy City for some time. They even gave him the additional bonus of a Kevlar glove for his left hand to go with the device to help deal with the issue of relative motion making the ODD return at relative speeds faster than a human hand could withstand.

Retreating to the hotel bathroom, Touma attacked the ODD bracelet to his wrist and activated one of its more passive functions, a medical diagnosis. Since the device was worn on the wrist and linked with the user's nervous system, it was in the perfect position to gather general medical data, such as temperature, heart rate, and neurological anomalies. After about a minute of collecting and analyzing Touma, the device on his wrist projected a holographic screen displaying its diagnosis. Apart from signs of stress, something that was apparent from his recent experience, Touma was perfectly healthy. No sign of mental instability or hallucinations.

"Okay, so this isn't all in my head," Touma concluded, checking the mirror in the room, "And I'm still the same. Best guess is it's some form of magic. All that leaves is who or what caused all this, why they would do such a thing, and why someone like my dad is unaffected."

Taking the bracelet off his wrist, Touma shifted his attention to his laptop. Turning the device on, he opened up a video chat room and invited Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, and Uiharu. Something magical was going down, and he needed to tell them what was going on at the very least. Who knows, maybe they could help him figure out what was going on. Besides, he needed to confirm whether or not they were affected by what was going on.

After a few minutes of waiting, three video feeds appeared on screen. One was for Mikoto and Kuroko, while the other two were for Saten and Uiharu. Of course, just like everyone else, they all looked like completely different people. Thankfully, their response to his call made it clear who was who.

" _Seriously? I know I told you to call us daily while you were away, but I didn't mean first thing in the morning, idiot!_ " Mikoto whinned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

" _Sorry about Sissy_ ," Kuroko apologized, " _She can be pretty grumpy in the morning._ "

" _Morning Kamijou. How's your vacation going so far?_ " Uihaur greeted.

" _You sure seem energetic_ ," Saten yawned.

"Good to see you girls too," Touma chuckled, "Listen, this is going to sound crazy, but I think something magical is happening over here."

" _Well of course, it is a family vacation to a beach resort after all_ ," Uiharu chimed.

" _I think he meant that in a literal sense, Uiharu_ ," Saten deadpanned.

" _What exactly is going on?_ " Kuroko asked.

"Well, for some reason, nearly everyone in the world looks like someone else, but no one seems to be aware of it," Touma explained, "From what I can tell, all the swaps are completely random. When my family arrived this morning, I was glomped by my little cousin Otohime. I was prepared for it since I read about it in my journal, but what I wasn't expecting was for her to look like Zapper! I honestly thought it was her for a minute."

" _Seriously?! Oh man, what I would have done to see that!_ " Saten laughed, " _I wish I was there for it! Hey Misaka, you should do that once Kamijou gets home._ "

" _Absolutely not!_ " Mikoto refused, blushing profusely.

"I don't think you would have been able to notice if you were here, Flipper," Touma pointed out, "It seams that only people who have not been affected notice the changes, and from what I'm seeing, you've all been affected."

" _You mean we all had our appearances swapped and we don't even know it?_ " Uiharu asked.

"That's right," Touma confirmed, "I was able to tell from context clues, but you girls all look completely different."

" _So, who exactly do we all look like?_ " Kuroko asked.

"Let's see," Touma pondered, "For one, Pigtails still has her pigtails, but they're a different style and the shade of her hair is darker. You also still have that perverted air around you, but now it has a straight pedophile vibe rather than a lesbian molester vibe."

" _What do you mean 'still have that perverted air'?!_ " Kuroko yelled indigently.

"Zapper's now blond and has much longer hair," Touma noted, "She also has star shaped pupils and boobs that are barely kept inside of her shirt."

" _Damn it! Why did I have to look like her?!_ " Mikoto screamed.

"You know this person?" Touma asked.

" _Shut up, idiot! Don't ask!_ " Mikoto snapped.

"Okay, geez," Touma resigned, "Anyway, Flipper looks like my classmate, Fukiyose."

" _Oh, I remember her," Uiharu chimed, "She was that girl in your class that pushed you to join Judgement, right?_ "

"That's what my journal says," Touma shrugged.

" _Cool_ ," Saten mused, " _What about Uiharu, Kamijou._ "

"Ironically, Headband's appearance didn't change much," Touma chuckled to himself, "You actually ended up with Otohime's face and the two of you already looked pretty similar."

" _That is pretty funny_ ," Mikoto giggled.

" _Need us to do anything from our end, Kamijou?_ " Kuroko asked.

"Actually, I just called to get some confirmation on what exactly is happening," Touma admitted, "But, if you can keep an eye out for anything suspicious in Academy City, it would be a big help. With this spell affecting the whole world, there's no telling where the caster can be."

"We'll keep an eye out, promise," Uiharu agreed for the group.

" _Don't worry, with Uiharu and I on the case, we won't leave a single stone unturned_ ," Saten cheered reassuringly.

" _What about you?_ " Mikoto asked, " _With nearly your entire family looking like they do now, I can't imagine it be very comfortable._ "

"I'll deal. It's not the craziest thing that's happened to me this summer," Touma replied, "Actually, I don't exactly know where this lands on the craziness scale. Still, even if they look different, they're still my family. I'll just have to make the best of it while keeping an eye out myself."

"Hey Touma, you in there?" Touya called out from just outside the bathroom, "We're all heading to the beach. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute!" Touma called back before turning back to his video chat, "That's my dad. I better get going."

" _Alright then_ ," Kuroko nodded.

" _We'll keep you posted if we find anything on our end_ ," Saten chimed.

" _Have fun with your vacation_ ," Uiharu added.

" _Good luck, Touma_ ," Mikoto said with a wave.

"Thanks girls," Touma finished as he hung up.

* * *

The rest of the day went as well as one would expect when your entire family has their appearances swapped with those of unrelated people you know. That is to say the entire experience was awkward as hell for Touma. Like any family, the Kamijou family has their fair share of quirks, but their current appearances completely clashed with their personalities.

First, there was Otohime, Touma's excitable and bubbly little cousin. Touma recalled from his journal that she was all around a very affectionate girl that he enjoyed spending time with whenever they had family gathering. They were extremely close, so close that it got to the point that people would confuse them for siblings on occasion. But now that she looked like Mikoto Misaka, Touma couldn't bring himself to get too close to her. Last thing he wanted was to slip up and end up treating her in the same teasing/flirting manner he had recently adopted.

Touma's sister Shizuri was a bit easier to handle, but she still had her own problems because of their predicament. Because of her decade long absence, the person she was now was almost a complete stranger to Touma, especially with his amnesia. While she still exhibited some of her old habit as his older sister, they seemed almost foreign since the person enacting them looked nothing like her.

Then there were his parents, whose situation was especially awkward given that only Touma's mother had a swapped appearance. He parents got along extremely well, so much so that Shiina was willing to wear any swimsuit that Touya suggested. Unfortunately for Touma, this meant extreme awkwardness for him since his father's tastes were rather risqué and his mother currently looked like the fourteen-year-old Index. If Touma didn't know better, he would have taken Touya for a pedophile.

However, the worse case by far was Index herself, who now looked like Aogami Pierce. The sight of Aogami in a little girl's swimsuit was one he wished he could forget. The entire situation eventually became too much for the poor high school boy and he excused himself to go on a walk. He just needed to get away from it all.

'I need a vacation from this vacation,' Touma thought to himself as he climbed up the path of stairs on the cliff face, 'This whole vacation is way more awkward than I thought it was going to be. And to top it all off, I don't have any leads for why everyone's faces are switched. Rotten luck.'

As he continued to climb up the stairs, he noticed something particularly strange. A bit further up, there was a girl in an extremely questionable outfit. Said outfit consisted of a red hood and cloak that covered her eyes and back, a black body suit made from bands of fabric, and an awful lot of metal braces and chains.

'Okay, weird girl in a ridiculous outfit on the stairs,' Touma noted in his head, 'From what I've seen so far, this spell only affects people's bodies, not their clothing. If that's the case, even if this girl has a different face, those clothes are still hers, so she must be a sorceress. Maybe she knows something about what's going on."

"Hey there," Touma greeted as he walked up to the strangely dressed girl, "I'm not sure if we've ever met, but are a-"

Touma never got a chance to finish his sentence. Faster than he could blink, the strange girl had brought a jagged knife of this his throat. Touma was in a very dangerous situation, unarmed and completely at the mercy of this girl.

"Question one: are you the spellcaster?" the girl asked coldly.

"Wait, spellcaster? You mean for this freaky face swap thing?" Touma asked, frozen in shock.

"Response is unclear. I will ask again: are you the spellcaster?" the girl said.

"Hold on a minute," a third voice interrupted from the top of the stairs, "It's too early to conclude that he's the one."

Looking up the stairs, Touma was surprised to find two somewhat familiar figures. First, there was the sword wielding Kaori Kanzaki whom Mikoto and the rest of the girls had once described to him not long after the Deep Blood incident. More surprisingly however was Tsuchimikado, one of the last people Touma would have ever expected to be associated with a sorceress.

"That was close," the blond boy quipped, "Looks like we made it just in time."

"Tsuchimikado? Kanzaki? What are you doing here?" Touma asked while strange girl kept her knife by his neck.

"Would you look at that, we still look the same to him," the boy on the top of the stairs noted.

"Yes. However, the fact that he can identify us correctly may mean…" Kanzaki mused

"I don't think that's the case," Tsuchimikado cut her off, "You've seen what he can do first hand."

Kanzaki pondered a this for a moment before addressing the knife brandishing girl.

"It would appear this boy has evaded the problem just as we have. I am a sorcerer with the English Puritan Chruch's Necessarious, Kaori Kanzaki," the katana brandishing girl introduced herself, "Our purpose in coming here is the same as yours, to gauge the center of the distortion. However, it is ridiculous to think that this boy is the caster."

Having been given a reason not to threaten him anymore, the strange girl removed her knife from Touma's neck, allowing him to put some distance between himself and her.

"Russian Orthodox Church's Annihilation Survey. I am Misha Kruetzev," the girl identified herself.

"Uh, excuse me?" Touma asked, earning some odd looks from everyone else present, "Sorry if I'm being rude, but could someone please explain what exactly is going on here? Nothing any of you guys have said in the last five minutes has made sense."

After some rather unnecessary jabs at his apparent immaturity and ignorance, Touma found himself at a seaside snack bar with the known sorceresses and his friend Tsuchimikado. While sitting down, it was explained that there was an imbalance in the natural ranking of all beings as a result of an unknown spell. This spell brought an angel down to the rank of humans, resulting in physical manifestations to be juggled around, creating the perspective of everyone have switched faces.

The origin of this spell, appropriately titled Angel Fall, appeared to be centralized around Touma himself, making him the target of sorcerers like Misha who sought to stop and reverse the spell. Thankfully, all of Misha's suspicions were relieved once Tuschimikado revealed to her the existence of Touma's Imagine Breaker and its properties. With Touma now clear of any charges, that meant that the caster was someone close to him and there was a ritual sight somewhere nearby. Thus, the only ways to stop Angel Fall was to destroy the ritual site, or the caster themselves. However, despite all the exposition, Touma still had a very crucial question.

"What do you have to do with the, Tsuchimikado?!" Touma yelled in frustration, "How are you involved in the magic world?! And how do you know about Imagine Breaker?! Answer me already!"

"Heh, it's a simple explanation, really," Tsuchimikado chuckled, "You see Kami, I'm am member of Necassarious too."

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Man, this new season of A Certain Magical Index is awesome!" Animan cheered, a gallon sized slurpee next to him as he stared at his laptop.**

 **"Master, you are supposed to be hosting the most recent Animan Temple," Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami, reprimanded as she entered the room.**

 **"Fine, I'm coming," Animan sighed as he got out of his seat and turned to face his assistant.**

 **However, as soon as he did so, he his sword, Mugen, and pointed it at Himegami.**

 **"M-master?!" the priestess stuttered.**

 **"Who are you and what have you done to Himegami?!" the master of the temple demanded.**

 **"M-master, it's me! I'm standing right here!" Himegami replied in a panic.**

 **"Impossible! My precious priestess has black hair in a hime cut an a totally generic face," Animan yelled, "You are an albino loli with exotic red eyes that make you super recognizable! There's no way you are her!"**

 **Raising the blade over his head, Animan screamed as he brought the blade back down, barely missing the girl in the priest outfit who was clearly not Illyavial von Einzbern. Pulling the blade back, Animan then shifted it settings so the energy blade was a brilliant blue and the symbol read "to cut".**

 **"Mugen Buster!" he yelled as he made another attempt to nail the defenseless girl.**

 **"Come back next time for the next chapter, Secrets and Lies!" the Priestess cried in panic as she dodged another attack, "Maybe master will have calmed down by then!"**

 **"Get back here, impostor!"**


	41. Secrets and Lies

**And I'm back! By the way, it's been a month! I blame college and finals!**

 **Still, it's nice to see that this story is still getting so much attention, even with long gaps between updates. Guess all I can do is try to keep up my current pace, if not improve it.**

 **For now, let's get to the reviews!**

 **Totsalu: I can neither confirm nor deny my plans for the sixth ranked Level 5... mainly because I have you to make any such plans. I'll have to spell on it... for like another month.**

 **X the Reaper: Thanks! I've been waiting to make that joke for a long time. No, the girls don't know about Komoe's noodle incidences, for now anyway. I can't just go and use all the good material all at once.**

 **felixiglesias8: Thank you so much for putting up with my inconsistent update schedule.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: What are you talking about? There was plenty of comedy in that last chapter. All those sweet family moment undercut by body-swap shenanigans not enough for you?**

 **blackberry1773: Thanks for putting up with the wait.**

 **Strife666: I hope you managed to get that last copy.**

 **ahsoei: Yup, Kuroko took on Musujime's appearance. Shizuri's role is going to be a bit more passive than most would probably like. She'll be involved, but more on a reactive level than proactive. I just don't feel comfortable thrusting her into the Magic Side of the world head first. I also believe it is in character for Touma to avoid getting more people involved than is absolutely necessary.**

 **Bornkiller9: Thank you. I'll try to do better with the update times.**

 **Mercenory: I really wrote that? That doesn't sound like me at all. I love fluffy happy stuff, so why would I not write it?**

 **mohamadstar94: Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **5waydragon: Thanks for filling in , Sweeney. First, Touma has always been one to keep secrets if he thinks it will keep others from getting involved or worrying about him. That's kind of the reason why he kept his amnesia a secret from Index for such a long time. Second, I still have nightmares of Aogami in a 14-year-old girl's swimsuit. I think Touma is going to have them to, but I probably won't remember to write them in. Third, Tsuchimikado knows everything about Touma, even stuff Touma himself doesn't know. I think it's safe to say that Tsuchimikado knew for a long time. Fourth, probably the Railgang will beat Tsuchimikado up (if they can catch him), but Shizuri would have seen him as** **Hitotsui Hajime at the time so should won't know who to blast.**

 **SoulReaver267: Trust me, I know the feeling. I love wish fullfilment as much as the next guy, but I also know that that has to be earned, and sometimes it just doesn't make for a good story. Kuroko was turned into Awaki, the teleporter from GROUP. I'm not sure if Kamachi intends this, but a large amount of the cast foils each other in interesting ways. A major part of my story is using those parallels to bring out interesting interactions, like the similarities between Mikoto's father and Touma himself, making her crush appear at least partially the result of an Electra Complex, in which children look for romantic partners that remind them of their parents' relationship. If you look around there is a lot of Freudian thinking behind some the character interactions.**

 **TheTimeWalker94: Just a regular day in the life of Touma Kamjou.**

 **fencer29: Both are still better than Donald Trump. At least you can take Kuroko and Robert seriously. I'm not sure if you've noticed this, but a lot of how my story is structured has to do with parallels and Freudian thought. Thus, I took Shizuri in her current interpretation as a caring older sister with a dark side and obsession with power as a result of working in Academy City's Underworld and made her look like Frenda, another caring older sister with a dark side and obsession with power. Oh, I have plans for Misaki. I'm just not going to share them since those are spoiler heavy. You can PM me if you really want to know something spoiler heavy.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: Sorry to leave you starving like that. Hopefully this will sedate your hunger for at least a month. Can't be sure when I'll post again.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yup, I've been waiting to make that joke for a long time. not so sure about Oriana. Anything is possible I guess. You don't have to worry about things staying the same for too long. Things are about to get shaken up by quite a bit.**

 **RedSS: Something tells me I'm going to get a lot a flake for this chapter if that's the case. Well, do you're worst.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: That was not Himegami! That was an impostor trying to take what little page space she's already struggling to get!**

 **Guest (1): Well, not much I can do when the anime is all I have for source material.**

 **Guest (2): No on both accounts. Well, 1 and a half. You'll see during the chapter.**

 **Generation Zero: That's what I was going for. I wanted to write the reunion as genuinely as possible and then undercut it with Touma's perception of everyone but his father having a different appearance. Misaki will show up soon enough, I just won't tell you in a public file like this since it's such a heavy spoiler. I think you're forgetting something about Tsuchimikado, he's a liar. I didn't change anything about his role in the story. It's literally the same song and dance he pulled on Touma in the original story. He just doesn't reveal the whole truth until the end of the arc, and even then that is after telling Touma a whole string of lies and half truths that lead up to it.**

 **Savior555: Wow, I don't think I've ever had such an enthusiastic new reader. Sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it.**

 **Guest (3): Heavy spoiler, man. Can't just give that away.**

 **Berix: Glad you like it. I just hope my plans aren't too ambitious for my writing abilities.**

 **Healthcare: Thanks for the name tip. The harem is still going to be a thing, but now a few select girls will have a clear lead over the others. In this case, they will be Best Science Girl Mikoto and Best Magic Girl Itsuwa, because I'm biased like that and love both of them that.**

 **Well, now that that's taken care of, let's get to the real deal. Right after this disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 41: Secrets and Lies

As his family sat together in a lounge on the ground floor of the hotel, Touma sat alone by the windowsill of his hotel room, his only light coming from the moon. Once he got back to the hotel, his family had gathered together for dinner, discussing the many stories that they had to share. Shizuri especially had a lot to share, telling her parents of her status as a Level 5 Esper and plans to sort out some new living arrangements for her and Touma in Academy City. As for Touma himself, he simply excused himself after finishing his meal, claiming to need to take care of something in his hotel room, leading to his current situation.

While he wasn't necessarily telling the truth, he wasn't lying either. After the day he had, Touma really needed the alone time. First, nearly his entire family is body swapped thanks to a spell known as Angel Fall, then he learns the person responsible for it is someone closely connected to him, and now he knows that his friend Tsuchimikado is actual a Necessarious spy who has infiltrated Academy City.

However, the most concerning news for Touma was that there are only two people in the world who are inherently immune to Angle Fall are himself, thanks to Imagine Breaker, and the person who cast the spell in the first place. That meant that his father, Touya Kamijou, the one person in his family to keep his face, was a prime candidate for the spellcaster. Touma knew he couldn't exclude people from an investigation because of personal ties. Previous experience in Judgement had taught him that. Still, he couldn't believe his father to be the one responsible.

Touma knew his father. Maybe not as well as he should, but he knew enough to know that his dad was not affiliated with magic. Touya collected good luck charms, sure, but those were out of desperation to help his misfortunate son out of a bad situation. Touya Kamijou was nothing more than a normal, traveling business man with a hobby of collecting souvenirs out of love for his family. At least, that was what Touma thought as he stared at his most recent gift from his father, an idol of an Indian god.

'There has to be some sort of explanation for why he still looks the same,' Touma thought to himself as he waved the good luck charm in front of his face, 'Maybe this thing gave him good luck and he kept his appearance by coincidence?'

"The god's power dwells within replicas," a familiar voice said behind Touma, breaking him from his thoughts, "or at least that's what people who believe in idols believe."

Turning around, Touma was mildly surprised to find Tsuchimikado in the doorway of the room. The magic spy flashed his friend a smirk, as if he had been watching the Imagine Breaker muddle in the dark for a while. Touma simply turned his back to the blond by, focusing on the night sky visible from the window.

"Hard to believe you're a sorcerer," Touma admitted, figuring now was a good a time as any to share his concerns.

"Technically, I was a sorcerer. Not any more though," Tsuchimikado clarified, walking next to his fellow Level 0, "I used to be the best Feng Shui specialist you could find in Neccessarious. Now, because of how much of the Esper Curriculum I've taken, I can't use my magic without serious risks. Couple with the fact that I'm a Level 0 Esper, and I'm pretty much a total normal person that just knows a thing or two about the supernatural."

"I'm surprised you're spending time up here, talking to me, when you could be introducing yourself to everyone else," Touma noted, "I'd think a spy like yourself would know about earning the trust of those you infiltrate."

"True, but circumstances aren't exactly in my favor in this case," Tsuchimikado explained, "When Kanzaki and I realized what was happening, we put up a barrier to protect ourselves from Angel Fall. Unfortunately, we where not able to avoid it entirely. While We still look like ourselves to those not unaffected by Angel Fall, to everyone else, we look like completely different people, and those are the people recognize us as."

"You mean like how even though I see my entire family as looking like completely different people, they still all recognize each other as looking the same as before," Touma noted.

"Exactly, but in my and Kanzaki's cases, other people recognize use as the people whose appearances we've swapped with," the sunglass wearing boy confirmed, "In my case, based on the reactions I've gotten, I look like Hitotsui Hajime."

"Hey, I know that name. He's one of Flipper's favorite idol singers," the spiky hair teen noted, "So what about Kanzaki?"

"Oh, you're going to get a laugh out of this," Tsuchimikado grinned, "To other people, she looks like Stiyl. You remember him, right?"

"Seriously?! That's too funny!" Touma laughed before realizing something strange about his friend's story, "Wait, how did you manage to put up a barrier? I thought Esper couldn't use magic."

"They're not supposed to. If they do, bad stuff like this happens," Tsuchimikado explained, lifting his open shirt to reveal a large bruise on his side, "I used my magic one more time and my blood vessels exploded. Boom! If I try to keep that up, it's going to be the death of me."

"Guessing you don't want me telling the girls about the fact that you're a spy, huh?" Touma figured.

"Nah, you go on right ahead and tell them if you want. They already know so much about magic, knowing that I'm a double agent won't do much," Tsuchimikado replied with a cheeky grin, "Besides, I've got so much dirt on those four girls that they wouldn't dare try to double cross me."

"Unlike you, who double crosses me and Aogami on a daily basis," Touma groaned, "Just my rotten luck."

"Putting aside all this talk about double crosses, you mind doing me a favor and not talking about your luck like you normally do around Kanzaki?" Tsuchimikado asked.

"Huh? What for?" Touma replied, "I'm allowed to complain about my own unfair circumstances, aren't I?"

"Well, thing is, luck is a bit of a sour subject for Kanzaki. She can't stand thinking about her own good luck," the blond boy explained.

"Good luck is a bad thing for her? Strange, but there's a first for everything," Touma mused.

"You see, there's a secret organization in Japan known as Amakusa, an order of warriors within the Catholic Church. They set Kanzaki up as the head priestess of the organization, claiming it was her destiny to hold the position, born into it. To add to it, she's a Saint and a Stigma user, someone who holds the power of God in a human body, one of only a handful in the world. By releasing her Stigma, she can call upon that power and temporarily gain abilities beyond any normal human. She can't stand that her good luck came because she born under a lucky star," Tsuchimikado elaborated.

"I think I see what you're getting at. Because she's so lucky, nothing she ever accomplishes feels like it was a result of her own efforts. And always being the winner means everyone else is always the loser," Touma deduced.

"You're a strange one, Kami. I just can't figure you out," Tsuchimikado grinned, "Sometimes you can read a girl like an open book, but other times they can tell you they love you to your face and you still won't pick it up."

"… You know about that too, huh?" Touma sighed.

"Like I said, I know everything about you. Don't get so down, I'm happy for you, man! Don't worry, I can keep a secret," Tsuchimikado encouraged, giving his friend a thumbs up.

"For a price, that is," Touma grumbled under his breath.

Despite how annoying the conversation was starting to get, Touma couldn't help but feel a little happy about how it was turning out. It was just classic, Delta Force banter, like they always had during class, between lessons, and while hanging out. All that was missing was Aogami and it would have been just like always. It made Touma believe that while Tsuchimikado's allegiances in the war between Science and Magic were a lie, their friendship wasn't.

Before the conversation could further devolve into even more pointless Delta Force banter, Kanzaki barged into the room, clearly exhausted from having to deal with the Kamijou family. While Touma wouldn't deny his family to be annoying at times (really, whose family isn't) he wouldn't describe them as unbearable. Still, he wasn't too surprised by the saints need to get away. However, what did confuse him was her insistence on him coming along with her to where ever she wanted to get away to.

Seeing as he had no choice in the matter, Touma agreed to come along, but not before grabbing his ODD equipment from the room. With Angel Fall being what it is, there was no telling what might happen. Far all he knew, the spellcaster could be on to their little investigation and be waiting for the chance to strike, stopping them before they got to chance to stop him/her. Plus, Touma was supposed to contact the girls in Academy City again soon and lugging around his laptop to where ever Kanzaki wanted to go was just a hassle. He needed a chance to test the common communications line anyway.

Soon enough, Touma found himself standing in front of the resort's bathhouse. Apparently, Kanzaki wanted to take a bath to relax, but because of Angel Fall making her look like Stiyl, she couldn't use the women's bath without causing a scene if someone came in. Thus, she was left with no option but to use the men's bath and have Touma stand guard, so no one came in while she was there. While she still put her comfort at risk, at the very least it would create less of a scene since she and Touma would be the only people who would be aware of the mismatch of patron and bathhouse. Reluctantly, Touma agreed, staying outside while Kanzaki took her bath.

Once Kanzaki was inside, Touma brought his left wrist to his face and activated his ODD bracelet's common communication line. Connecting to his video chat account, it was only a few seconds of loading before he saw the swapped faces of his friends on the holographic screen.

" _Hey Kamijou! Find any leads?_ " Uiharu greeted for the group.

"Yeah, and it's not pretty," Touma sighed, "When mulling over everything that has happened, I ran into a couple of familiar faces from Necessarious. They filled me on what exactly was going on."

" _Did they attack you on sight?_ " Mikoto joked.

"No, but a girl named Misha from the Russian Orthodox Church did. Nearly cut my head off," Touma admitted, "Just a normal day for me."

" _So who exactly did you meet from Necessarious? What did they tell you?_ " Kuroko asked.

"For one, I met Kanzaki. You remember her, right? Older Japanese girl with the katana and asymmetrical outfit?"

" _Kind of hard to forget_ ," Saten jested before realizing what she said, " _Sorry. Bad memory joke._ "

"Anyway, she told be that someone within my area cast a spell we're calling Angel Fall, which dragged an Angel down to the human level, causing perception of others to get all messed up, which is why everyone looks like someone else but nobody knows it," Touma explained, "Kanzaki and one other member of Necessarious were able to partially protect themselves from the spell, but now they look like other people to those who are affected by Angel Fall."

" _So whose the other member_ _of Necessarious?_ " Mikoto inquired.

"That's the weird part. Apparently, Tsuchimikado was secretly a sorcerer," Touma revealed.

" _No way!_ " Saten screamed, " _How?! I thought Index said Espers couldn't use magic!_ "

"Geez, tone it down would you," Touma sighed in exasperation, "Look, the truth is he's a spy for the Magic Side, but he's unable to use his magic safely now because of his Esper training. He got pretty badly hurt just using a protection spell, so no, Flipper, this does not mean you can start learning magic to make up for being a Level 0."

" _…I wasn't going to suggest that_ ," Saten pouted, something Touma found strange considering she had Fukiyose's face.

" _Should you really be telling us all of this?_ " Uiharu inquired.

"Actually, Tsuchimikado gave me the all clear," Touma admitted, "Apparently, he has enough dirt all of us to blackmail us into not telling anyone. I don't know about you, but I'm going to take his word for it. He knew things I've never told anyone about."

" _Well, that's disturbing_ ," Mikoto shivered.

" _So, what now?_ " Kuroko asked.

"Well, it looks like all the action is going to be happening over here," Touma sighed, "You guys just sit tight. Hopefully, this will all be taken care of by the time I get back to Academy City. I'll keep you guys filled when I can."

" _You sure you don't need us to come over and help?_ " Mikoto asked.

"I think I'll be fine… hopefully," Touma halfheartedly insisted, "Besides, it's not like I can just pull you guys out of the city on short notice like this."

" _Well, you know where to find us_ ," Kuroko encouraged, " _Good luck there, Kamijou._ "

"Please don't insult me," Touma begged as he hung up.

Having finished he call, Touma leaned on to the side of the bathhouse with a sigh. Things were getting out of hand really fast. He only wished he had a clear idea of what he had to do to fix everything. As of right now, he had solid leads on who was responsible for Angel Fall. It wasn't like he could talk to his family about it either. The last thing he wanted was to get them involved.

"Here's where you went," a vaguely familiar voice called out as it approached.

Turning towards the voice, Touma saw the blond girl his sister knew approach him. It took a second, but he reminded himself that the girl in front of him was his sister. Angel Fall was not making reconnecting with Shizuri any easier.

"Oh, hey sis," Touma greeted halfheartedly, "What are you doing here?"

"To use the bath, why else?" Shizuri replied, "Are you doing okay? You've been acting strange all day."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a bit out of it today," Touma lied.

"You know, you can come to me if there's anything you need to talk about," his sister encouraged.

"Yeah, I know," Touma replied, avoiding eye contact.

'Wish that were the truth,' Touma thought to himself, 'I can't let Shizuri know about magic. I've dragged enough people into this cold war as it is.'

"Well, I'm heading in the baths now," Shizuri explained, "Dad's coming over to use the bath in a little bit. Might be a good chance to reconnect with him."

"Wait, what?" Touma asked as his sister disappeared into the woman's bath.

Once his sister was out of sight, it dawned on Touma that he never actually thought of a way to make sure no one entered the men's bath while Kanzaki was in there. He was so busy video chatting with his friends and talking with Shizuri that he forgot to prepare some sort of excuse. With his father now approaching, Touma frantically tried to think of some way to keep his father out.

"Oh, Touma. There you are," Touya greeted his son as he approached.

'Not good,' Touma panicked in his head.

"Hey, dad," Touma replied, trying to give the impression that nothing was wrong, "What are doing here?"

"Just out to take a bath," his father answered, "Say, this is perfect. Why don't you and I go for a father/son dip? It'd be the perfect chance to catch up."

'Got to think of something!' Touma cried mentally.

"Uh, I'd love to dad, but we can't," Touma replied.

"Huh? Why?" Touya asked in confusion.

"Um," Touma trailed, his eyes darting around for some sort of hint, "Some one else is in there."

"Well yeah, it's a bathhouse. That's kind of the norm," Touya argued.

"No, I mean like they're cleaning the bathhouse right now," Touma lied.

"That can't be right. I talked to the resort staff beforehand. They said it was ready for guests," Touya noted, debunking Touma's lie.

'Well, that was my last lie,' Touma lamented.

"Oh, I see what your doing here. You're trying to pull a fast one on your old man," Touya incorrectly concluded, "Nice try, Touma, but I can tell when I'm being punked."

'Clearly not,' Touma snarked in his head.

"Come on, let's head in," Touma's father instructed as he opened the bathhouse door.

'I am so dead,' Touma lamented.

In a desperate last attempt to stop his father from going in, Touma tried to pull his father out by force. Unfortunately, this quickly turned on his as Touya grabbed Touma's hand instead, dragging both of them into the bathhouse. The timing couldn't have been worse, as Kanzaki had just finished her bath and was getting dressed. Before Touma stood a completely naked Kanzaki, who had her back turned to him and his father as she prepared to tie up her hair. A moment later, she turned to face the two Kamijou men, clearly surprised by their entrance. She could only be grateful for the fact that only one of the men before her could see her nude, feminine body.

"I'm really sorry," Touma whimpered.

'Why is she tying her hair back first?' Touma asked himself in indignation, 'Shouldn't she prioritize her clothes?'

"Hey, if it isn't the cool, redheaded, cigarette smoking, tattooed, Kanzaki," Touya greeted with a wave, "How's it going?"

Her only reply was grabbing her katana, which Touma knew was a sign to run. Sprinting out of the bathhouse at a breakneck pace, Touma was quickly followed by his father. The two barely managed to get away from Kanzaki's Seven Flashes (or in Touma's case, eight).

"Useless," Kanzaki complained as she slipped in her shirt.

"You toss aside all you owe him over nothing more than a little nudity?" Tsuchimikado asked from just outside the bathhouse, "Or have you forgotten that Kami saved Index's life when no one else could? Is seeing you naked really a big deal compared to that? You should show a bit more gratitude. He definitely deserves a lot more than he gets."

"It's not that I have forget what he's done, but," the saint replied, "I don't think you would understand."

* * *

Outside, the two Kamijou men had found themselves a chance to catch their breath after fleeing for their lives. The two of them sat alone on a single bench in the middle of the resort, with only the sound of crickets as their company.

"Well, you've made some really interesting friends, son," Touya noted, "Why was that guy so touchy about sharing the bathhouse with other men?"

"It's a really long story I'd rather not get into," Touma admitted, leaning into his seat.

"Oh, I see. He plays for the other team, does he?" the father incorrectly deduced, "I don't see what he's so embarrassed about. In this day and age, that pretty widely accepted."

"Not even close," Touma snarked, "Seriously dad, you shouldn't let your imagination run while like that. Next thing you know, you'll be believing anything that people tell you."

"That's a bit harsh," Touya chuckled, "I'm supposed to be the one giving life advice. Then again, I can't say you're wrong to say that."

Looking over to his father, Touma couldn't help but share in his light laughter and smile. Sadly, that smile quickly fell into a frown as he remembered what their current predicament was. As things stood now, his father was still the primary suspect for casting Angel Fall. He was the only person besides Touma himself who has not had his appearance changed at all by the spell and was in close enough proximity to Touma to line up with the church's reports. Despite this, Touma still refused to believe his father was the man responsible.

"You alright, son?" Touya asked in concern, "You're making your worried face again."

"No dad, it's nothing," Touma lied, averting his gaze, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Those good luck charms you keep getting me from your business trips, do you actually believe they work?" Touma asked.

"Why are you asking about that?" Touya asked in response.

"Call it curiosity," Touma answered.

"Well, honestly, I'm not entirely sure," the father replied, "I guess you can call it wishful thinking. You remember how your first few months in Academy City went down. Even in a city of science, you were still bullied and harassed for your luck. Even when things got better, it was discouraging to say the least. So, I started collecting good luck charms on the small hope that they might work. That is how faith works, isn't it?"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe those charms could do things other than provide good luck?" Touma inquired.

"Not really. They're all just trinkets when you get down to it," Touya answered, "Still, a little faith never hurt anyone. That reminds me, I have another souvenir for you that I picked up in Mexico."

"Seriously dad? Another one?" Touma sighed.

"Trust me, this one's special," Touya said as he pulled out a small, metal charm shaped like a house.

"What's this?" Touma asked, taking the charm in his left hand.

"It's called a milagro," Touya explained, "In Mexico, it is believed that carrying one around provides good luck, but the design also holds significance. It is said a house shaped milagro provides blessing to the owner's home, grants connections to that home, and insures the owner returns home safely. I want to give you as not just a good luck charm, but a reminder that you will always have a home to return to."

"… I don't know what to say," Touma admitted, staring at the charm in his hand, "Thanks, dad."

"Don't mention it," Touya smiled, before his eyes drifted to something in the distance, "Hey, is that Misha?"

Following his father's gaze, Touma too saw Misha standing all alone in a clearing not too far away from them. She stood there silently, illuminated by the moon light shining through the trees. Her gaze was kept solely on the moon, as if longing for it. All things considered, she looked pretty lonely.

"Yeah, you're right," Touma noted.

"What a pity. For such a young and innocent girl to be trouble by something. It's almost like she came here hoping someone would offer her help," Touya mused, patting his son's shoulder, "Good luck son. I know you can do it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Touma whispered indignantly as he watched his father leave.

"You told me you started working in Academy City's law enforcement, didn't you?" Touya quietly called back, "Just do what you do best and help her out."

"Yeah, no pressure," Touma huffed under his breath as his father disappeared from view.

Not seeing anything else he could do, Touma played along with his father's half-baked plan. Besides, Misha did look troubled, so there was no harm in talking to her. Wanting to get things settled, Touma approached the young Russian girl.

"What'cha doing out here?" Touma asked curiously.

Misha barely gave Touma a glance before returning her attention to the moon.

"I can stay with you if you're homesick. I was on my way back in, but I'm not Russian or anything," Touma punned, before quickly berating himself for just how terrible it was.

Desperately hoping the girl didn't notice the terrible joke, Touma tried to switch tactics in his conversation. Reaching into his pocket with his right hand, Touma pulled out a piece of gum that he happened to have on hand. He offered it to the sorceress, finally managing to gain some of her attention.

Misha looked at Touma and the gum in his hand a few times before timidly reaching out for it. She seemed to hesitate as she picked up the candy out of his hand, almost like she was actively avoiding touching him.

Now that he had her full attention, Touma took the opportunity to ask Misha about the progress on the Angel Fall investigation. To his dismay, they had yet to find any real leads as to who had cast the spell. However, Misha did have a few theories as to why someone would cast the spell in the first place.

"Possible reason 1: To gain for themselves the incredible power that an angel possesses, or perhaps to elevate themselves from the rank of human to angel," Misah explained, "For now, Angel Fall is incomplete, but once it is complete, the caster can release the nearly unmatched power of an angel upon the Vatican, and even throw the entire world into chaos."

'This is bad,' Touma thought to himself, taking everything in, 'This thing whole thing is a lot more dire than everybody looking like someone else. This is a bigger than anything I've dealt with before. The whole world is at stake this time. Why does everything in my life escalate so quickly?!'

After his talk with Misha, Touma dragged his way back to the hotel to turn in for the night. Unfortunately, his return was met with some rather risqué banter coming from his parent's hotel room window. Even from outside, Touma could hear his parents talking about the prospect of giving him and Shizuri another little brother or sister. He especially got worried when the light in the window suddenly went out. The last thing Touma wanted was the image in his brain of his father doing the deed with his mother, especially when said mother currently looked like a fourteen-year-old nun in training.

"Sorry Misha, but I've got a crisis much more important than the end of the world right now!" Touma panicked as he ran into the hotel.

As he rushed through the halls, Touma found himself lucky enough to run into his sister as she was heading to their room.

"Hey Touma, you doing ok- woah!" Shizuri greeted as Touma grabbed her hand and dragged her along.

"No time to explain! I just need your help!" Touma yelled as he raced to their parent's room

Arriving not a moment too soon, Touma threw open the door to his parent's room before anything happened that would make him wish for another case of amnesia.

"Stop right now! Stop it! Stop it!" Touma yelled in a panic as he and Shizuri barged in.

"Ah! Touma! Shizuri!" Touya yelled in surprise, turning on the lights, "Now's really not a good time."

"Aw, how sweet. Touma's miss having us all together like this so much that he wants us all to sleep together as a family," Shiina cooed, "We'll all snuggle up in bed, just like when Touma and Shizuri were little."

"Is that what this is?" Shizuri asked, more to herself than anyone else.

With a disappointed grunt, Touya turned off the lights in the room, this time getting into bed properly. At the same time, Shiina ushered her children to join them, much to Touma's relief and Shizuri's confusion.

* * *

The next morning, Touma woke up to the sound of his parent's running out of the room, his mother in a panic. Half awake, Touma followed after his parents with Shizuri close behind, both of them failing to notice the injured Index who had been crushed against the wall by the violently thrown open door.

Once in the lobby of the hotel, Shiina explained to the rest of the Kamijou clan that she had forgotten to lock the front door to their new house before they left and was going to go back to take care of it. Such a trip would take most of the day, but the family matriarch didn't mind. Upon hearing this, Shizuri and more surprisingly Misha offered to come along with her to keep her company. Shiina, of course, gladly accepted their offer, wishing to reconnect with her daughter in private as well as learn more about her son's exotic friend.

"Why would Misha want to go with mom?" Touma asked once the girls were gone, "Sis I can get, but Misha?"

"I figured this would happen," Touya mused with a coy smile, "The two of you must have had quite the night together. Surely you know what she's up to. It's the oldest trick in the book."

"Wait as second, were you spying on us?" Touma accused.

"What? I am not allowed to see my own son court a girl?"

"Yes!" Touma yelled indignantly, "And I wasn't trying to court her! We were just talking! I already have enough girl problems as it is!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding," Touya chuckled, "Still, it's rare to fine a girl like her these days. She's so shy and delicate that she wouldn't even take your hand when you gave it to her."

"Oh… yeah," Touma agreed halfheartedly.

Thinking back to last night, Touma couldn't help but feel stupid for not noticing it earlier. Misha seemed to know an awful lot about Angel Fall, but where did she learn so much about it? If what Tsuchimikado and Kanzaki told him before was true, then the spell should have been a totally unknown and unique phenomenon, the first of its kind. There would be no prior knowledge on how it worked in any sort of records the many branches of the Christian Church. Then there was the matter of her avoiding Imagine Breaker. Under normal circumstances, most sorcerers wouldn't have any issue with it so long as they didn't have some significant artifact or where maintaining a spell. Misha's cautious behavior seemed more akin to one of those scenarios than simply being shy.

While Touma felt stupid for not putting it together sooner, he also felt relieved to find a lead that didn't point towards his father. If everything went well, they could stop Angel Fall and his dad would never be suspected by the sorcerers at all. This was the chance Touma had been waiting for.

"Wait, what was that about you having girl problems?" Touya asked, startling Touma out of his thoughts.

* * *

After presenting his theory to Tsuchimikado and Kanzaki, the two high school boys resolved to cut Misha off at the new Kamijou residence. Getting the directions from the Kamijou patriarch proved to be a bit of a hassle, what with Touya's teasing and dad jokes, but they managed to do so none the less. Thus, the two boys found themselves in front of the new Kamijou household.

Just as his mother had mentioned, the front door to the house was unlocked, so getting into the house was easy. Thankfully, the arrived before Misha did, so they had a chance to confront her before anything got messy. In the meantime, the Touma and Tsuchimikado decided to take the time to explore the house itself.

Touma found the whole situation to be rather surreal, what with him breaking and entering into his own family's house. The house itself was rather generic, but what the two boys found interesting was the numerous artifacts and souvenirs that Touya had collected over the years. There wasn't a single square meter of the house that didn't have some sort of souvenir on it.

"So it's here," Tsuchimikado mused as he eyed a set of white tiger figurines, "I must say, this was the last thing I would have expected.

"What, is there something wrong with these?" Touma asked, reaching out with his right hand to take a closer look."

"Don't touch them!" the spy yelled, grabbing Touma's hand before it reached the tigers.

The blond boy gave his friend a hard stare from behind his sunglasses before letting go. Much to Touma's confusion, Tsuchimikado continued to explore the house before stopping in front of a set of picture frames.

"Something wrong?" Touma asked, confused by his friend's behavior.

"Yeah, you mind explaining this?" Tsuchimikado inquired, picking up one of the picture frames.

"Explaining what?" Touma responded, not sure of what his friend was asking.

"Explain why you didn't tell us that your father's appearance did not change," Tsuchimikado clarified, presenting the family he had just picked up off the table.

"I…" Touma trailed.

He was at a lose for words. Touma had no idea how he was supposed to explain withholding such critical information. Now Tsuchimikado was confronting him about it with undeniable evidence. It looked like there was no way out, but the two were interrupted when Shiina, Shizuri, and Misha entered the room, having finally arrived at the house. With both parties now present, everyone froze in place, unsure of what to do.

Nobody stayed still for long. After noticing the picture in Tsuchimikado's hand, Misha quickly ran out of the house, leaving everyone behind. Frustrated by the recent turn of events, Tsuchimikado attempted to chase after her, but was stopped when he was tackled by an extremely jubilant Shiina, recognizing him as the famous Hitotsui Hajime.

"Quick Kami, get going!" Tsuchimikado ordered, "Have you forgotten what Misha tried to do when she thought you were the one responsible?!"

Realizing what his friend was implying, Touma quickly ran past his sister and out the front door of the house. As he raced down the street, he found Shizuri tailing him, running in stride.

"Touma, what's going on?" his sister demanded, trying to get her brother to stop.

"Look, Sis, I don't have time to explain right now," Touma yelled back.

Because of how focused he was to beat Misha back to the resort, Touma failed to notice that he had run into an intersection. He almost got ran over by a truck, but the driver, who strangely enough looked like Himegami, managed to stop just before hitting him.

"Hey kid, watch it!" the driver yelled, "you have a death wish or something!"

"Touma, seriously, why are you in such a rush?" Shizuri asked, thankful that her brother was not hit.

"I'll explain in a minute," Touma replied as he grabbed his sister's hand and pulled the both of them into the passenger side of the truck, "Please, just give us a ride, I'm begging you."

"What the hell! I'm not running a tax service here, kid!" the driver screamed.

"This is important," Touma explained, closing the passenger door, "It's our father. I think his life is in danger."

"What?" Shizuri asked in shock.

"If my sister and I don't get to him, he'll die. We have to save him somehow," Touma said with a bow, "Please, help us."

Before the Kamijou siblings knew it, the truck driver was in tears over Touma's heartfelt plea. Moved by Touma's words, the driver instantly agreed to drive them back to the resort, putting the peddle to the metal and driving much faster than a cargo truck reasonably should. Meanwhile, Shizuri was completely lost as to what was happening, only really catching the fact that their father was in danger.

'What the hell is happening?' Shizuri thought to herself.

* * *

Upon arriving back at the hotel, Touma and Shizuri ran up to the front door and met up with Kanzaki.

"I need to find my father, and Misha too!" Touma exclaimed, out of breath from his run.

"That's what I wanted to ask you. You where the one chasing after her," the saint replied, "As for your father, Mister Touya is at the beach. What exactly is going on?"

"I'd like to know that as well," Shizuri demanded, stepping forward, "Everything has been completely crazy since you and that Misha girl showed up here, and I think I deserve an explanation as to why."

"I'm afraid this doesn't concern you," Kanzaki replied offhandedly.

"Like hell it doesn't!" Shizuri yelled, creating a ball of frozen electrons as a threat, "I just wanted to reconnect with my family, then you two show up and suddenly my father's life is at stake! This definitely concerns me!"

"Sis, calm down," Touma ordered, placing his hand on her shoulder and negating her power, "Let me explain."

"Touma…" Kanzaki warned.

Touma tenderly raised his hand, silently telling Kanzaki to be quiet. Shizuri was his sister. It was his responsibility as her brother to make sure she didn't get involved in magic. Once Kanzaki agreed to let him handle it, Touma turned to his sister and explained everything. Or at the very least, told her a convincing half-truth.

According to Touma, Kanzaki was from a group of undercover investigators that he had worked with in the past on a small handful of Judgement cases. These cases were usually very serious cases that were not to reach the public eye, so secrecy was of the utmost importance. Misha was from another branch of the same organization as Kanzaki and they were both assigned the same case. Their individual investigations brought them to the conclusion that the culprit of their most recent case was someone in the area, and people directly connected to Touma himself were prime suspects, specifically Touya. When Touma found out, he got Kanzaki to agree to let him help, as well as prove his father innocent. Unfortunately, Misha wasn't one to listen to others, so now Touya was in danger of her making a hasty conclusion.

Surprisingly enough, Shizuri was willing to accept that story. She said that knowing Touma's previous history with Judgement over that summer, she wasn't too surprised that he was involved in such high-level cases. Touma thanked his few lucky starts that the half-truths were enough to cover up the lies.

"I would like you two to stay here," Kanzaki ordered, "Given what Touma here has told me, this is my task now. I will take your father into my-"

"Not happening," Touma cut her off, "I'm going to take care of this, not you."

"But Touma-," Kanzaki tried to argue.

"But nothing, Kanzaki," Touma said firmly, "Don't you see, Touya Kamijou is my father! He's the only dad I have. This is up to me."

"In that case, I'm coming with you," Shizuri insisted, "He's my father too."

"No Sis, I need you to stay here," Touma denied, "This just official became professional Judgement business for me, even if we're outside of Academy City. I can't allow you to get involved."

"Are you forgetting that I'm the fourth ranked Level 5? I can help you protect dad."

"Which is exactly why I need you to stay here," Touma reaffirmed, "Once I get dad, I'll bring him back here for shelter. I need you to be ready with fortified defenses so we can protect him."

"Touma-," Shizuri tried to argue, but was ignored as Touma started to run towards the beach.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Touma called back, "I'm not going to let anything happen to dad!"

Shizuri tried to chase after him but was stopped when Kanzaki grabbed her shoulder.

"You should have more faith in you brother," the saint advised, "He is a very capable young man. I trust him to keep your father safe."

Shizuri, despite her urge to chase after Touma, conceded to Kanzaki's advice. All she could do was watch as Touma disappeared behind the curve of the hill.

"Be careful," she whispered, holding her hand over her heart.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Greetings everyone. Priestess Number 1, Himegami, here," a young priestess with snow white hair and red eyes greeted with a bow, "Master Animan is in no condition to host today's End Card Segment, so I will be taking over for today."**

 **Behind her, muffled screams could be heard, as well as the creaking of wood as if something was swinging back and forth. Inside the temple was Animan himself, tied upside down with a rope to the ceiling and gagged with a bandanna. He swung back and fourth like a pendulum, desperately screaming behind his gag as he tried to reach his Mugen in the far corner of the room.**

 **Himegami could only laugh stiffly at the sight of her master in such an embarrassing state.**

 **"It seems he has yet to calm down and return to reality since Angel Fall took effect, and that was a month ago," the girl explained, "Unfortunately, I had to restrain him so he didn't cause any more trouble. Don't ask how I managed that when he was swinging around a reality warping sword. I'm not too sure how I pulled it off myself."**

 **In the background, Animan could be heard screaming what was most** **likely slander at the girl, claiming her to be an impostor.**

 **"Well, looks like we're out of time for today. Come back soon of the next chapter, 'Truths be Told'. See you all soon," Priestess Number 1 said with a bow, ignoring the muffled screams of her delusional master.**


	42. Truths be Told

**I'm back! and it only took nearly a month this time! Just in time for Christmas! Consider this my early Christmas present to all of you loyal readers.**

 **This is it, the end of end of the Angel Fall Arc. Hopefully, I did this chapter justice, especially since it the arc itself took so long to complete despite it only being three chapters long. I think you'll all find the last part of the chapter particularly interesting.**

 **For now, let's get the the reviews out of the way.**

 **ahsoei: Yeah, probably should have wrote the reveal to the girls a bit differently. Touma's new apartment won't exactly be ITEM's apartment, since Shizuri would want to keep Touma away from it, but it would be just as nice.**

 **SolanaLeonhart: Thank you so much for your praise. I've had plans for ITEM for a while now, being somewhat familiar with their story thanks to wikis and other fanfiction, and now that the anime is catching up, I have a much clearer idea of what I want to happen with them. Animan Temple is one of my favorite additions to my stories, so I'm glad you liked it.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: Now that we're at the climax, this chapter is going to be a bit more action packed, just not exactly where you would expect it.**

 **Kim454: That is certainly an interesting interpretation of what Imagine Breaker would look like through AIM Stalker. I might just use that.**

 **Healthcare: Thanks for being so understanding. I usually write harem for the antics, but I do enjoy genuine budding relationships between characters. Honestly, I just really like Itsuwa. I find the super shy and awkward characters plain adorable, probably because I closely relate to them.**

 **SoulReaver267: Hey, I like good and bad puns, especially when I'm the one making them. I'll serve my time in pun hell. I'll be sure to delve deeper into Shizuri's protectiveness, especially in relation to Touma and girls. I'll do anything if it means Delta Force antics. They're the funniest part of any A Certain story.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: I just interpreted Touma as being a bit more focused here since he's dealt with a bit more weird in his life than he did in canon. Plus, he's moderately trained to deal with stuff like that in Judgement. Just seemed like a natural progression of his character to me.**

 **MemeDevil: It's less that I forgot about Index, more that she's pretty out of focus in this arc to begin with. Plus, Touma usually tries to keep unneeded people out unless they find they're own way in. The only reason he told the girls in Academy City about Angel Fall was because they were in not position to arrive at the scene and do anything. I'm sure you'll get around to your own story eventually. Persevere, my man.**

 **dhart868: I'm actually reorganizing the timeline a bit so Touma can be involved in the Silent Party Arc. After a quick break chapter, it will be the next arc covered.**

 **TheTimeWalker94: Eh, the mentality makes for a good source of suspense, with slight hints of comedy.**

 **Guest (1): Sorry for the wait!**

 **Kami (Guest): You might be overestimating Touma here. He's had several years of casual Judo training, yes, but Judgement training has been sporadic, spread out over the course of several weeks. Most of Touma's fights come down to how well he can improvise and if those improvisations even do a damn.**

 **Chroma (Guest): I plan on having Index be a bit more involved in the future, it's just a bit difficult when a lot of the conflicts don't directly influence her until later. She's a living macguffin that only a few antagonists actually go after.**

 **ivan meza: Not now, unfortunately. Next arc.**

 **X the Reaper: I'm pretty sure the angel was more enticed by the gum than anything else. They do have a sweet tooth, strange as it is.**

 **Anonymous Noob the 2nd: Oh, don't worry, she's like number 2 on my Magic Side girls list, just below Itsuwa.**

 **Savior555: Here you go.**

 **RedSS: I can see that you were not very pleased the chapter, and all I can say is context. Tsuchimikado gave his blessing and the girls were in no position to get involved since they're still in Academy City, which is heavy on security and has permits to allow exiting. Touma has no memories of Shizuri, but he knows she's a powerful Esper and a caring sister based on Mikoto's stories and his journal. Plus, the moment their father became a target, it was a family matter. It would be wrong to leave her completely out of the loop when her own father's life was in danger. She was told just enough to be convinced to help, but not enough to learn about magic.**

 **fencer29: Just know that the offer stands.**

 **Percyfan1998: Glad you liked the chapter over all. Index III is certainly a joy to watch. It feels rushed at times, but gives just enough to be enjoyable.**

 **Generation Zero: Well, can't rush her into things to quickly. Touma and Shizuri are both concerned with keeping the other out of the questionable lives they live, unaware of how intertwined they really are, only bring the other along when push comes to shove, like when family gets involved. Also, spies make everything more interesting.**

 **Eliza211: Well, this arc is a bit more akin to a detective story than anything else, so a lack of action was to be expected.**

 **TeotakuFantasia: Glad you liked the chapter. Good luck with your life in another world! Seems hectic.**

 **Xeno01: Glad you liked the chapter. Accelerator might not show up for a while since next is Silent Party, but I'm sure it will be interesting when I get to it.**

 **RPGPersona: Glad you liked the chapter. I didn't want to rush Shizuri into things too quickly. Something the siblings share is their desire to keep the other out of the supernatural side of their lives, unaware of how intertwined they are. Thus, my best bet was to have Shizuri play defensive under a believable lie. Judgement may not have any jurisdiction on its own, but with the lie Touma told, it could be said that Touma was given special privileges while working with the extra party.**

 **Mutant0401: Capturing the essence of the characters and their interactions is my top priority when writing, so I'm glad I succeeded in your eyes. I'm glad you found the story so enjoyable. Always a pleasure to have a new dedicated reader.**

 **Teruterufying (Guest): Always a pleasure to have a new regular reader. I hope you like what I have in store.**

 **thewiseguyalex: Glad to have such high praise. Hope you enjoy what I have in store for the future.**

 **With that out of the way, you know the drill.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 42: Truths be Told

When Touma found his father safe at the beach, it had to be the biggest relief he's had all day. Still, he couldn't let his guard down just yet. Misha was bound to be after his father and if they didn't move now, there was no telling when or where she might rear her hooded head. He had to get his father back to the hotel. At the very least, they might be able to stage some kind of defense there until they could get Misha calm down and listen to reason. Even if all the evidence seemed to point towards Touya Kamijou being responsible for Angel Fall, Touma wasn't about to let some sorceress cut his father down.

"Dad!" Touma called out as he ran towards his father.

"Oh, Touma, you're back," Touya greeted, "Did you see the house? What did you think?"

"Yeah, it's great," Touma replied, rushing his words, "Listen dad, don't ask why, but we need to get you out of here, now!"

"Huh? What's gotten into you?" Touya asked his son, confused, "Did you get in a fight with your mother?"

"Look, it's nothing like that, we just need to get you out of here!" Touma insisted, grabbing his father's wrist.

"Son, please, just tell me what's going on," Touya begged, completely lost as to what was coming over his son.

"Dad, look, some various dangerous people think your responsible for doing something, and now they want to punish you for it," Touma explained vaguely, "So come on! I have some friends that can help keep you safe."

"Huh? What could I have possibly done to upset anyone? I've been here at the resort all day," Touya insisted, confused as to why someone would be targeting him.

"Okay, then answer me this," Touma challenged, "Who do you think I brought with me to the resort besides Shizuri?"

"You mean the girl in the white nun's habit?" Touya replied, "I never got her name, but she seemed like a very good friend of yours."

As soon as he heard his father's reply, Touma couldn't help but feel a hit of joy. After worrying about his father's potential involvement in Angel Fall, he finally had irrefutable proof that his father was innocent. If he had actually been the culprit, he would have noticed the changes in everyone's appearances. Instead, he still recognized Index as a young girl, despite her current outward appearance to be that of the perverted Aogami Peirce.

At the same time, Touma couldn't help but silently reprimand himself for taking so long to figure it out.

'Why didn't I ask something like that earlier?!' Touma asked himself in his head.

"Hey, is that Misha?" Touya asked, snapping Touma out of his thoughts.

To Touma's horror, Misha had found them. His only chance to save his father now was for him to convince Misha that Touya was innocent, here and now. Acting quickly, Touma stepped between his father and the sorceress, having no intention of letting her near her target.

"I'm know why you're here, but stop," Touma demanded, "It's true that my dad's appearance hasn't been switched with anyone else's, but he hasn't noticed the changes in anybody else. He's clearly unaware of the spell, so shouldn't that mean that he-"

"Response to question: self-explanatory," Misha cut him off, pulling out a metal staff from her many belts, "Target acquisition completed. Personal opinion 1: the solution to the problem is simple."

"Misha, stop…" Touma begged, forcing his father to back away.

"You're not supposed to kill anyone without a divine order," a familiar voice said from behind the Kamijou men, "or have you forgotten principle."

Looking over his shoulder, Touma could see Kanzaki approaching them, her sheathed katana in hand.

"I'll take it from here. Please get your father to safety as quickly as you can manage it," Kanzaki ordered.

"Misha has the wrong impression," Touma explained, "My father's not-"

"We've all been tricked," Kanzaki cut him off, "Her name isn't Misha. I made an inquiry with the Russian Church. They only have one Kreutzev on file, and her name is Sasha. This is probably just an assumed form that she switched into."

"What are you talking about?" Touma asked, "If she's not with the Russian Orthodox Church, then who is she?"

"Surely you can put it together," the saint suggested, "What is it we call this devastating spell? What kind of being has it forced out of its higher standing worthy of its unparalleled power?"

Finally, the clues snapped into place in Touma's head. Misha's hesitation to touch his right hand. The name of "Angel Fall". The all-powerful servant of God forced to exist among the lesser creation of humans. All these facts came to light as the sky became dark as night.

"Why did it suddenly become night time?" Touya asked, "There was still at least an hour until nightfall."

"I see now. By turning day into night, she's enhancing her power," Kanzaki observed, "Controller of the blue, symbol of the water, guardian of the moon, protector of the rear side. Her name is, The Power of God."

As Kanzaki spoke, black wings made of what appeared to be shards of black glass appeared "Misha's" back, lifting her up into the air. She then raised her staff above her head, enveloping the night sky with what appeared to be a giant magic circle. Kanzaki instantly recognized as a spell capable of completely wiping out entire civilizations. It would appear that "Misha" was so desperate to return to her place among the angels that she was willing to destroy everything within the immediate area just to destroy Angel Fall and its caster.

Remembering that "Misha" refused to touch his right hand, Touma suggested that he stay to fight the angel. However, Kanzaki had other plans for him. She ordered him to take his father away from the fight and destroy the ritual site used for Angel Fall while she keeps the angel busy. While Touma was hesitant to agree to that plan, not wanting to leave Kanzaki by herself, the saint had nothing but confidence in the holder of Imagine Breaker.

"I'm not planning on dying, if that's what you're worried about," the saint reassured, "I'm counting on you. I've seen you save one girl from death before, so I'd be grateful if you saved my life this time."

Seeing that there was no changing the saint's mind, Touma grabbed his father's hand and led him away from the beach. Unknown to anyone at the beach, Tschimikado was watching the whole ordeal transpire from a hill further inland. Looking up at the magic circle forming in the sky, the double agent couldn't help but smirk out how out of control everything had gotten.

"Well, everything sure has gone sideways now, hasn't it?" Tsuchimikado mused, "Sorry about this Kami. It's a tough decision to make, but some one has to make it. Looks like we're going to have to offer someone as a sacrifice to get this under control."

* * *

Starring out of her hotel room window, Shizuri could only gawk at how out of control everything had gotten. After positioning herself somewhere where she could shoot down any potential intruders, she had her suspicions when the man named Kanzaki got off the phone and told her he was heading to the beach to find Touma and Touya. Shizuri said she would come along, but the man insisted that she stay put and hold down the fort, so to speak. A few minutes later, and the sky had suddenly turned to night and had a giant, luminescent pattern printed on it.

"What the hell is going on?" she whispered to herself as she started to make her way to hotel lobby.

Walking through the halls, Shizuri couldn't help but notice how empty the hotel was. Now that she really thought about it, the only people who seemed to be there at all where the two employees and her family. Sure, it was a small hotel at a small beach resort, but one would have expected there to be a bit more business. Really, the only other guests to have shown up were those friends of Touma.

When she finally got to the lobby, Shizuri was quite shocked by the sight she was greeted with. For some reason, Hitotsui Hajime, the same idol that for some reason was with Touma earlier in the day, was in the hotel lobby, putting Otohime down on a couch, along side that Index girl that Touma brought with them.

Of course, Shizuri was no idiot. She wouldn't have survived in the Academy City Underworld as long as she did if she was. Even if it was dark out now, that was not because it had become late enough for the sun to have gone down and signal it was time for the two young girls to go to sleep. Look at the idol's back pocket, she saw a slightly soaked cloth hanging out of it. Either this guy was secretly the world's dirties panty thief, or he had just drugged the two girls and knocked them out.

Shizuri may have only met Otohime the other day and she barely knew the first thing about Index, but she wasn't about to stand for this. She revealed herself from the darkness to protect her brother and the rest of her family. She was not about to let them come to harm from someone like this supposed pop idol.

Acting quickly, Shizuri fired a single blast of her Meltdowner, barely singeing the man's hair. Normally, she would have just killed this person outright, but she promised Touma she would hold back on the killing. Given who this person seemed to be, a simple warning shot should be enough to at least deter him. No need to spill the blood of a relatively harmless threat for her family's sake.

"I suggest you step away from the girls," Shizuri warned, "That was a warning shot. If you don't want to see how accurately I can shoot, I'd suggest you do what I say and leave."

"Huh, so you're Kami's sister, huh?" the man mused, stepping away from the passed-out girls, "Who would have thought such an ordinary guy would have such extraordinary family? I must say, it's kind of ironic how you have that face considering your relationship to Kami."

"What's that supposed to mean? And how would an idol like you know my brother?" Shizuri demanded, creating three spheres of frozen electrons to extenuate her point.

"Nothing you need to worry about," the supposed idol replied, waving off the issue, "Truth is I'm not really an idol. Heck, I'm not even Hitotsui Hajime. This is just a disguise I'm using for a job. I just happen to be good friends with your brother, having worked with him on a ton of past jobs."

"If that's the case, why did you knock out my cousin and his friend?" Shizuri inquired, not buying what the man was selling.

"I just needed to get them out of the way for the next part of the job. Can't have outsiders getting involved," the man replied, "Unfortunately, outsiders include you!"

Out of nowhere, the strange man charged at Shizuri at a breakneck pace. The Level 5 tried to fire her Meltdowner as he closed the distance between them, but he dodged the blasts easily, despite the limited space. With the distance cleared, Shizrui couldn't reasonably use her ability. The man who looked like Hitotsui Hajime delivered several quick jabs to her gut and face before throwing her across the room.

After she landed, Shizuri tried to get her barrings, only to find herself held against a wall with a soaked cloth being pressed over her mouth and nose. In the time it took for her to get up, Shizuri had been pinned by the fake idol, faced with the same drug that had been used on her cousin and her brother's friend. She tried to use her ability to blast the man off her but found herself unable to focus.

"You Espers are all the same. You're so reliant on your abilities that the minute you're left without them, you're helpless," the man mused, "Not only that, the stronger the Esper, the worse the case. This is a special incapacitating agent with the added bonus of temporarily disabling Esper abilities. It's amazing what you can get from the Academy City Underworld. Of course, you would know, Meltdowner. Just rest easy for now. This will all be over soon."

Unable to put up any more of a fight, Shizuri let herself fall into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Touma and his father arrived at the hotel, they were shocked to find Shizuri, Index, and Otohime all fast asleep, most likely drugged. On edge for the discovery, Touma quickly raced into his family's hotel room, searching for any hints of the assailant or the whereabouts of the Angel Fall ritual site. Touya struggled to follow his son, both out of exhaustion and confusion.

"Touma, can you please just explain what's happening?" Touya begged, "None of this is making any sense."

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I can explain," Touma admitted, "Listen, do you know of anything you put together recently that might have any sort of religious significance? Like a shrine or something like that?"

"No, I can't say I have," his father replied, "But what does that have anything to do with this?"

"You've got it all wrong, Kami," a voice familiar to Touma said as a third person entered the room.

"Tsuchimikado," Touma replied in surprise.

"Haven't you figured out what's going on here yet?" the double agent inquired, "Well, it's not your fault you're so new to this magic business."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Touma asked in surprise, "Are you saying my dad really is innocent."

"No, he's a guilty as can be," Tsuchimikado replied, "The thing is though is that he's completely unaware of what he has done."

"What, how?" Touma asked again, "You said the spell needed a large ritual site."

"That's the thing. We already found the ritual site, your parent's new house," Tsuchimikado revealed, "The whole thing is a giant Feng Shui arrangement. Your dad's good luck charms from across the world have little to no power individually, but the arrangement that your dad put them in created a synergistic effect capable of incredible power. When your parents left the house to come to the beach, the spell was activated. Your father seems to have some latent magic power, accidentally triggering it. Angel Fall is nothing more than the result of a coincidental placement of some objects. That's why I kept you from touching the good luck charms at the house. If we messed with the ritual site, we might have invoked an even more dangerous spell."

"But, how are we supposed to destroy the ritual site if we can't mess with the individual pieces?" Touma inquired, "The place is huge and filled to the brim with good luck charms."

"It's simple really. We either destroy the caster or the ritual site in one fell swoop," the double agent replied, "And doing that will require a human sacrifice."

"No… you can't," Touma stuttered, realizing what his friend was implying "I won't let you hurt my dad."

"I figured you would disapprove, not may people would," Tsuchimikado said with a shrug, "That's why I incapacitated the girls downstairs. I couldn't have them interfering in all of this. Sorry, orders from the church. It may be unsavory, but it's my job."

"That was you!" Touya cried in outrage, only to be cut off by his son.

"Stay behind me, dad," Touma ordered as he pulled out his ODD and shifted it to shock baton mode, "I won't accept this. The church thinks they can use my dad as a human sacrifice, but they've got another thing coming!"

"If that's the case, come at me," Tsuchimikado taunted, gesturing for Touma to attack.

More than glad to comply, Touma charged in with his weapon held high over his head. Once he closed the distance, he tried to bring the electric weapon down of his opponent's head, only for Tsuchimikado to catch his wrist before it could reach its target. With his first method of attack trapped, Touma attempted a punch with his left fist, only for Tsuchimikado to also catch the attack. Before Touma knew it, he was kicked off his feet and thrown to the side of the room, flat on his back.

"Swordsmanship really isn't your strong suit, Kami," Tsuchimikado mused, "Just stay there and give it a rest."

"What to do something to me, then have at it!" Touya cried out, unable to just stand back and watch his son get hurt, "But don't to anything else to hurt my family!"

"Oh?" Tsuchimikado mused.

"I'm dead serious!" Touya yelled, "You've already gone and attacked my daughter and niece. Do anything else to anyone else and you're going to regret it!"

"Now you're just being silly," the double agent challenged, "You can't actually believe you can take me on."

"You're right, I don't," the middle-aged man admitted, "I may no win, but I'll make sure to inflict as much pain to you as I can in the name of my family before I bit it. Have I made myself clear? I am the man of my family. Anyone who harms anyone in my care will answer to me."

"Don't do it dad," Touma said weakly as he stood up, propping himself on his ODD.

"Stay out of this, son," Touya warned, "If you get involved, none of use are getting out of this alive."

"That's not true, dad!" Touma denied, shifting his ODD to his more familiar shock pike mode, "We are getting through this no matter what it takes! No matter what happens, I'm my father's son!"

"That's my boy," this father whispered, touched.

"If that's how you want it, so be it. I think we should make if formal, don't you?" Tsuchimikado mused, "As of this moment, Touma Kamijou is officially the enemy of Motoharu Tsuchimikado."

Not wanting he hear another word from his traitor of a friend, Touma rushed in with his weapon at the ready. Touma tried to thrust at his enemy, only for the traitor to dodge with a simply lean to the right. Touma attempted several more thrusts, all of which missed.

Eventually, Tsuchimikado grabbed a hold on the ODD and used it against Touma, thrusting the back end of it into Touma's gut. He then used Touma's connection to the weapon to pull Touma close and sucker punch him in the face. Finally, he grabbed Touma by the collar of his shirt and threw him threw the hotel room's paper sliding doors.

Not one to give up, Touma collapsed his ODD and threw it at Tsuchimikado's head. The blond was easily able to dodge it, but that Touma's plan to begin with. Just before the weapon hit the upper corner of the room, Touma activated its recall to execute his signature boomerang technique. Unfortunately, Tsuchimikado actually managed to both dodge the weapon on its return trip and catch it himself before it could return to Touma's hand, much to Touma's shock.

Because of the way that Tsuchimikado was holding Touma's weapon, Touma had no way of attacking Tsuchimikado with it. The ODD changed modes mainly by extending its length and then branching out, so even if Touma could remotely change its modes, none of them do anything to Tsuchimikado. With his weapon now in the hands of his enemy, the Imagine Breaker only had one option of attack left to him, his fists.

In a last desperate move, Touma charged and threw several punches at the blond, all of which were easily dodged. For his troubles, Tsuchimikado countered with a knee to his former ally's gut and a punch to the face, leaving Touma sprawling on the floor. Outraged by the attack on his son, Touya charged in with a punch of his own, but was easily stopped by a single punch to the stomach, leaving him unconscious on the ground.

"Dad…" Touma cried weakly as he watched his father fall.

"That takes care of that," Tsuchimikado said as he threw aside ODD and reached into his open shirt, pulling out a vial of paper flakes, "Alright everybody, prepare yourselves for an amazing display of honest to goodness sorcery. This room will serve as our humble stage for today. The first step is to properly set it up."

The blond boy scattered the paper flakes all across the floor of the room, coating every square centimeter of it. Once the flakes landed, the floor started to glow a brilliant blue light.

"With that taken care of, allow me to introduce my magic troop," Tsuchimikado continued, pulling out four more vials, each containing an origami animal, "Time to get to work you guys. Susaku, Seiryu, Genbu, Byakko."

As he listed the Japanese names of the Four Symbols of China, Tsuchimikado threw each vial containing the appropriate origami animal into a corner of the room pointing to their corresponding directions of south, east, north, and west. Once each vial landed, the origami inside them also started to glow in their respective colors, red, blue, black, and white.

"The pistol has been assembled, but we still need to see about loading it," Tsuchimikado mused, "The spell we have hear is similar to a gun. For the barrel we have a barrier. For a bullet we have a Shikigami spirit. And for the trigger, I'll be using my own hand."

As he finished his explanation, Tsuchimikado began to cough up blood, much to Touma's horror. A good bucket's worth of blood poured out of the sorcerer's mouth before he was able to speak again.

"Remember what I said, Kami?" Tsuchimikado said as he turned to face the fallen boy, blood now starting to leak from his eyelids, "There's more than one way to skin a cat, and the same goes for Angel Fall. One option is to kill the caster and the other is to destroy the magic circle."

"No… don't," Touma begged, not wanting to watch the person he considered his friend sacrifice himself to stop the world threatening spell.

"You know Kami, when you say stuff like that, you remind me a lot of Kanzaki," the bleeding boy mused, "If she knew I was doing things this way, she would do whatever she could to stop me, just like you. Unfortunately, that meant I needed a way to keep you or anyone else from interfering, which meant beating you up. On the bright side, I can now use my magic to blow the whole ritual site away!"

"Just stop it," Touma begged as Tsuchimikado started to cough up more blood, "You don't have to do this."

"I'm afraid I can do that. Sorry," the blond apologized as he was engulfed in a pillar of light, "If there's something you should know about me by now, it's that I'm a big, fat liar."

Out on the beach, Kanzaki continued to slash away at the fallen angel's attacks, doing her best to not be cut to shreds by them. As she fought, she noticed an arc of bright light fly across the sky before crashing somewhere in town, exploding on impact. Once the explosion passed, the night sky suddenly became dusk again and the magic circle in the sky faded. A moment later, the angel in the form of Misha Kreutzev faded away, leaving no trace of ever being there.

In the silence of the angel's absence, Kanzaki fell on her knees from both exhaustion and relief. By some miracle, the spell known as Angel Fall had been stopped.

"I don't know how you did it, Touma Kamijou, but now I owe you another one," the saint mused thankfully.

In the hotel, Touma woke up to find that it was dusk once again, the light of the setting sun pouring in through the windows. Getting up off the ground, Touma quickly took notice of his father unconscious on the floor and quickly moved to check on him. In his hast to see if his father was alright, Touma accidently placed his hand in a puddle of blood that had pooled on the floor. Looking over to the source of the puddle, Touma could only stare in disbelief at the sight of Tsuchimikado lying limp there, soaked in his own blood.

* * *

The next day, Touma was back in Academy City, once again checked into his usual hotel room. As he sat in his bed, Touma couldn't help but think about what had happened during the Angel Fall incident. All he could do was wonder if there was some way to stop the spell without anyone having to die. He just couldn't accept the idea of saving the many at the cost of a few. The sight of Tsuchimikado's corpse lying there in a puddle of his own blood would forever haunt the wielder of Imagine Breaker.

"There had to be another way. There had to be," he said to himself, "What good would sacrificing yourself do anybody?!"

"Hey Kami! Long time, no see!" Tsuchimikado greeted as he walked into the room in perfect health, much to Touma's shock, "You doing alright?"

"Huh?!" Touma yelled in confusion.

"What's wrong? You're as white as a sheet. You look like you've seen a ghost," Tsuchimikado pointed out.

"How can you be here?!" Touma asked, "You used magic again and you died, didn't you?!"

"Oh… That was a lie," Tsuchimikado admitted, "My Esper power is Auto Regeneration. I'm a Level 0, but I can still restore my body. Between you and me, I think I can still use magic a few more times before I keel over. It's kind of a pain to explain, so I didn't bother to."

"That's your reason? Really?" Touma deadpanned.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you believe? I am a liar," Tsuchimikado reaffirmed, "That bit about me sneaking into Academy City to do spy work is a lie! In reality, I'm a counterspy only pretending to be on the side of the English Puritan Church. Actually, to tell you the truth that's also a lie! In reality, I'm a freelance spy hired to multiple agencies for espionage!"

"You do realize everything you just said was a paradox, right?" Touma asked, fuming, "If you're telling me you're a liar, how am I supposed to take your word for it?! If it's the truth, it's a lie and if it's a lie it's the truth! There's no right answer here!"

"Aw, don't be like that! All's well that ends well," the liar replied, "But I figured you'd react that way, so I brought some folks to cheer you up."

And cheer up Touma did. As soon as Tsuchimikado stepped to the side, Touma could see his entire family enter the room, all of them looking totally normal. His mother was telling his father about how she met Hitotsui Hajime in their house while Shizuri and Otohime rushed in ahead of them to meet him. Before he new it, Touma found himself jumped on by Otohime, who pounced on to the bed to give him a hug, something he actually welcomed this time. Shizuri was a bit more reserved, opting to walk around the bed and kneel down next to it to check on him.

"Hi Touma! You feeling better?" Otohime greeted as she nuzzled Touma's chest.

"Yeah, much better," Touma laughed as he petted his little cousin's head.

"You sure? You had quite the beating when we found you," Shizuri noted, checking for any bruises.

"I'm fine, really," Touma insisted.

"You sure, Touma dear," Shiina asked as she and Touya joined Shizuri at the side of the bed.

"Of course," Touma replied, "Though, I'm not sure if you can call being used to being in the hospital as being okay."

"Oh my, we can't have that now, can we?" Shiina giggled.

"Good to see you, son," Touya said, "I'm glad you're looking better."

"Well, I have a good doctor," Touma joked, "You're looking good too, dad."

"Well, our house is completely gone now, but I consider that a small price to pay for your safety."

"Wait, what's wrong with the house?"

"Apparently, the house mom and dad had recently built got destroyed in a mysterious freak explosion," Shizuri explained, "My bet is on arson, but no one else seems so confident."

Upon hearing what had happened to the house, Touma instantly turned to Tsuchimikado in anger, clearly remembering what exactly he did to stop Angel Fall. However, Touma was surprised to see that the freelance spy was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, these things happen," Touya sighed, "We can stay at the old house until the new one is rebuilt, so its not a very big deal."

"You still have the old house?" Touma asked.

"Yes and no," Touya admitted, "Truth is, we've been renting it for all these years. Thankfully, they haven't re-let it yet."

"We may no have owned it, but it was still our home," Shiina added, "We lived in it from the time we got married up until we got the new place. It was where you and Shizuri grew up. You remember, right? You were always groaning about how cramped it was."

"Personally, I'd love to see the old house again," Shizuri chimed in.

"Yeah, me too," Touma said with a wistful smile on his face.

The Kamijou family was silent, happy reminiscing on their time together in their old home. However, that silence was soon broken when the hospital room door was thrown open and six very worried girls came pouring it. These girls were of course Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, Index, and Konori.

"Idiot, why didn't you tell us that you landed yourself in the hospital again!" Mikoto cried.

"Honestly Touma, what did you do?! I was there, and I don't even know what happened!" Index added.

"You better have a good explanation for this!" Kuroko yelled.

"This is no way for a member of Judgement to act!" Konori reprimanded.

"Seriously, you had us all worried, Kamijou!" Uiharu cried.

"Come on, tell us what happened!" Saten begged.

"… Is this what you meant when you said you had girl problems, son?" Touya asked his son.

"… Son?" the girls asked, suddenly realizing there were other people in the room.

"Rotten luck," Touma lamented.

* * *

At the top floor of the Windowless Building, Tsuchimikado stood before the founder and leader of Academy City, General Superintendent Aleister Crowley. He stood there casually in front of the mysterious human as he floated upside-down in his tube, as if this were a normal occurrence for him.

"Hello again, my brilliant double agent," Aleister greeted, "I take it the mission to neutralize Angel Fall went smoothly?"

"You of all people should know that, sir," the freelance spy replied, "The spell was neutralized, just as you requested."

"Excellent. I would hate it if it that rogue spell interfered with my plans," the upside-down person mused.

"Of course, only would be brilliant enough to orchestrate the use of Imagine Breaker to better further your plans," Tsuchimikado complimented, "Though I never would have expected you to manipulate the entire Kamijou clan like you currently are. You of all people should know how dangerous they can be when provoked, even with their nearly forgotten strength and history. There is a reason their name translates to 'He who is above God'."

"I am well aware of the Kamijou clan's history," Aleister confirmed, "As followers of Soloman, the King of Magic, founder of modern magical practices, their bloodline was granted an unparalleled natural attunement to supernatural abilities, giving them a high capacity to perform magic or develop into Espers. In addition, they were charged with wielding and guarding the ultimate means to maintain balance in the supernatural world, passing the power down through the generations in different forms. A power that to this day, long after the clan had forgotten their role, is still held by the eldest son of the Kamijou clan."

"And still you toy with that eldest son and manipulate their eldest daughter to become another one of your weapons of war," the blond boy pointed out.

"Rest assured, I have everything under control," Aleister reaffirmed.

"I hope you do," Tsuchimikado said as he made his way out of the room, "For your sake."

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"I can't believe your back, Priestess Number 1!" Animan cried as he nuzzled his adorable assistant, "It's a Christmas Miracle!"**

 **"I never left in the first place," Himegami whined, struggling to get out of her Master's grip.**

 **"Anyway, that was the end of the end of the Angel Fall Arc! Pretty exciting huh?" Animan cheered, letting go of his assistant and stabbing the tip of his Mugen into the floor of the temple, "Especially that reveal at the end."**

 **"I never would have thought the Kamijous had such a deep history," Himegami mused.**

 **"Oh, they don't. I just added that in to deepen the lore and give Touma's family more relevance," the master of the temple admitted, "Still, pretty interesting stuff, I'd say."**

 **"Indeed," Himegami agreed with a nod before noticing the time, "Master, it would appear we are out of time."**

 **"Mhm! So it would seem! We'll see all of you next time in 'Welcome Home'," Animan said, waving his sword in the air to say goodbye, "See you all after the holiday!"**

 **"Merry Christmas!" Himegami added with a bow.**


	43. Welcome Home

**Hello internet, I'm back with another chapter. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. The last chapter seems to have been a bit divisive, mainly in regards to the fights. Since I don't want to have to address this more than once, I'm going to address this here.**

 **First is the matter of Tsuchimikado vs Shizuri. I'm going to try to make this as clear as possible so I don't see this complaint again. _She was holding back!_ The fight was in no way an accurate interpretation of who would win, and that was the intention. I have no doubt that a seasoned killer like Shizuri could take down someone like Tsuchimikado, but she wasn't fighting at her best. She gave _a warning shot_ for crying out loud! If she was out to kill him, that warning shot would have been the time to do it, but she didn't because she promised Touma she would hold back on the killing. Speaking of which, the fight itself _was a set up for the future!_ Anyone who has seen or read any story involving a criminal underworld of any kind knows that mercy is a surefire way to get killed, and this fight was setting up for a later conflict revolving around that. But no, I had to give this much away because some of you couldn't read the context. Sorry if this is coming off as rude, but the writing is on the walls, people. It's not that hard to pick up.**

 **Second is the matter of Tsuchimikado vs Touma. To those complaints, all I have to says is, "Did you even read the last 41 chapters?" In no way have I made Touma some sort of combat beast. In terms of combat capabilities, this Touma is only a step above Canon!Touma, and only because ODD gives him more options for improvised attacks. The only reason ODD is a thing in the first place is so I can reinvent fight scenes and have Touma fighting Powered Suits be plausable. Comparing Touma and Tsuchimikado, their skills are worlds apart, much like in canon. Touma is self-taught in the use of a weapon his only had for 1 month, 2 months tops, while Tsuchimikado has been properly trained and specializes in hand-to-hand since his nature as a Esper/Magician Hybrid makes using combat magic impractical. Seriously, there was no other way for the fight to turn out.**

 **Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. But seriously, what were you all expecting? I like wish fulfillment as much as the next guy, but only when its appropriate. I'm not going to go out of my way to create an awesome or cathartic moment if doing so conflicts with the story I'm trying to write. Sorry if that disappoints you, but that's my stance on the matter. I have my pride as a writer and I'm not going to jeopardize it just to satisfy certain people's preferences.**

 **But enough about the negative stuff. Let's just get to the reviews for now.**

 **Healthcare: I hope you liked that bit of lore. Just a bit of an expansion. Character interactions is the name of the with this story, so Itsuwa is sure to get plenty more once she shows up.**

 **SolanaLeonhart: Glad you liked the arc. The bit of lore was something I had planned for a long time. I thought to myself, "I have a family consisting of a father that accidentally performs magic, a daughter that's a Level 5, and a son with a miracle power beyond conventional understanding. There has to be something I can do with that." And thus, the Kamijou Clan backstory was created. Next arc is Silent Party, so get ready for it.**

 **RPGPersona: True, anyone would have a hard time thinking straight with everything happening like it was. Well, in this continuity, Touma already knew the reason for the good luck charms. It was discussed back in the Level Upper Arc when he was trying to reassure Saten about her feeling powerless. The charms were also discussed in the chapter before. Nice to see someone understands the reasoning for Tsuchimikado and Shizuri's fight, same with Touma's fight. I have plans for the expansion on the Kamijou family, mostly to better justify Touma's involvement in everything. Given the what all the arcs in Old Testament amounted to, I'd say it's a worthwhile expansion.**

 **zherzfeld1219: Great minds think alike, I see.**

 **Kim454: Glad to see you so excited for the Silent Party Arc. That will actually start in the next chapter, but it will start soon. I just need to rewatch the arc for research.**

 **X the Reaper: Less giving the rest of the family more relevance, more better justifying Touma's involvement. The idea is that the family has long since forgotten their role in the power struggle between magic and science, but they still unknowingly carry out their duty to maintain balance through this ultimate power that they were entrusted to guard.**

 **escleto278: Glad you liked that expanded lore. Nice to see so much excitement for it.**

 **TimeDiver: Shizuri's mind has been wiped. Or at the very least, it was made hazy. The rest of the Kamijou family was unaware of the whole story, only knowing that their son got hurt and their house blew up.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: People really should give Touma more credit. He's not as dumb as a lot of people like to make him out to be.**

 **Bornkiller9: Happy to have you're support.**

 **100PorCientoKino: That's not a bad idea. A Gemstone with the ability to transfer his pain to others would make for an interesting antagonist.**

 **felixiglesias8: I'll just leave that to your imagination. Rest assured, there was blushing, embarrassment, and lots of electricity.**

 **CChuTrain: Thank you so much for the support. Though, I have to ask, just how far behind are you in FGO? Loads of other players, including myself, have already beaten the first story campaign.**

 **Berix: Yeah, you gotta love those paradoxes. Mikoto is the front runner, that's for sure.**

 **Guest (1): The reason for the way the fight turned out actually has some deeper plot reasons. You can read all about them in the note at the top.**

 **Guest (2): Sorry to keep you waiting.**

 **TheTimeWalker94: Well, that is the whole point of adding the lore.**

 **RedSS: Sorry about that. Guess with everything happen IRL, I wasn't able to set everything up as well as I could have. Sorry for all the spelling mistakes, I have no idea how I keep missing those.**

 **Kami (Guest): You have a really inflated view of Touma if you honestly think that he had any chance of winning that fight. Reasons are in the top note.**

 **X-KT (Guest): My reasons are explained clearly in the top note. It's called planning ahead and setting up for the future.**

 **Chroma (Guest): Take a look at the top note, because everything is explained clearly there. Heck, everything was explained pretty clearly in the story itself.**

 **Well, now that that's out of the way, you know the drill.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 43: Welcome Home

Thanks to another miraculously fast recovery, the misfortunate high school boy known as Touma Kamijou was once again out of the hospital. To celebrate the occasion, Touma's friends decided to take him out to lunch at their usual diner, Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant. Mikoto offered to pay for everything, partly because it was a special occasion for their group, partly because it would give her points in improving Touma's overall opinion of her.

The group of friends was having an overall normal and enjoyable time. Index was eating an ungodly amount of food, clearly taking full advantage of the fact that this was a special occasion and Mikoto was paying for everything. Touma was struggling to keep Index in check, not wanting to abuse Mikoto's kindness. The rest of the girls simply laughed at the scene in front of them, with Uiharu distracted by her own oversized parfait to pay any attention.

After finally managing to convince Index not to order, Touma noticed he had received an email from his older sister on his phone. This earned the attention of the group's resident rumor hound, who immediately inquired on the email's significance.

"So, Kamijou, what's the email all about?" Saten asked, hungry for all the details on her friend's more than eventful life.

"It's just Shizuri," Touma explained as he read the email, "She's been doing some house hunting ever since we reunited. According to this, she's final found an apartment that she thinks will suit both of our needs."

"So, you two are moving in together?" Mikoto asked, uncertainty evident in her voice.

"Well, yeah. I mean, we're family, right? It's only natural," Touma admitted.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Uiharu chimed in, "It be a great way for the two of you to get readjusted into each other's lives. So, what's the place like?"

"That's the thing, I don't know," Touma explained, "I haven't been out to see a single apartment the entire time she's been house hunting. Shizuri said she wanted to keep the apartment a surprise. She actual texted me to meet at my dorm so we can get my stuff moved over."

"You sure you're okay with this?" Mikoto asked, "I mean, your sister is having you move into an apartment with no info on it."

"Come on, Mikoto, I know you two don't exactly see eye-to-eye, but I trust her judgement. She's my sister, after all," Touma insisted, "Plus, she's spent the last decade living like a high-class lady. I'm sure she knows how to judge a decent apartment. She got some of the best tutors in addition to her Esper training. I think she also mentioned having a butler growing up at one point."

"Geez, you weren't kidding when you said she lived the high life," Saten chuckled.

"Well, I better get going," Touma said as he exited the booth, "Trust me when I say you don't want to get her made. She's usually pretty calm, but she's got one hell of a temper is you annoy her."

'Don't remind me,' Mikoto thought to herself, thinking back to that night in the research facility.

"Okay then, Kamijou. See you around," Kuroko said with a wave."

"Send us the address when learn it! We'll throw you a house warming at your place once you're settled in," Saten cheered.

"Saten, you can't just go to someone's house uninvited like that!" Uiharu reprimanded.

"I'll be sure to tell you guys as soon as I get the chance," Touma laughed with a wave, "See ya."

* * *

When Touma arrived at his dorm, he was more than surprised by the sight he was greeted will. Shizuri stood outside of his door, proudly marveling at the sizable stack of boxes, each one labeled with some generic names like "kitchen", "clothes", "school", "bedding", and "personal items". The only box not in the pile was the one at Shizuri's feet, whose label Touma was unable to read from behind her foot. When she noticed her brother approach in her peripheral vision, she gave him a small smile and a wave.

"There you are, Touma," Shizuri greeted, "I was wondering when you would show up."

"Hey, sis," Touma replied, "Um, what is all this?"

"The stuff from your dorm," his sister answered, not skipping a beat.

"And how did you get it all in there in the first place to fill these boxes?" Touma asked again.

"You're neighbor Tsuchimikado gave me the spare key," the Level 5 answered again, "I ran into him when I arrived to wait for you and he happily gave me it when I told him what I was doing. From there, I made a quick call and got some guys to pack your things for you."

"Damn that Tsuchimikado," Touma growled under his breath, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him with that!"

"Interesting kid, that one. Somehow, I feel like I've met him before," Shizuri mused.

"So, what now?" Touma asked, eyeing the pile of boxes outside his former dorm room.

"Well, you don't have to worry about the logistics of the move. I've already contacted your school and gave them the details of your new living arrangements," Shizuri explained, "As for the boxes themselves, I've called some movers to take them to the new apartment. They should be arriving soon."

As if on cue, a car horn could be head just outside of the dorm building. Looking over the balcony, Touma could see a rather sizable moving van, as well as a rather sleek commercial van, parked in front of building. Three men hoped out of the moving van and quickly made their way to the floor where Touma's former dorm room was located. Without needing a single instruction, the men each grabbed one of the stacked boxes and loaded them on to the moving van, running back and forth until all the boxes were loaded. The only box left untouched was the box at Shizuri's feet.

Once the boxes were loaded, the three men made one last trip to the dorm room and gave a quick bow to Shizuri, who proceeded to hand each of them a money card worth about a thousand yen as a tip. Having received their tips, the three men immediately piled into their moving van and drove off to the new apartment. All of this happened within the span of five minutes.

"What just happened?" Touma asked, stunned at what he just witnessed.

"Best movers in Academy City," Shizuri said proudly, "You'd be surprised at how many mundane connects you get in addition to the underground ones. Plus, their fees are a drop in the bucket compared to a Level 5 stipend."

"I think you might want to reconsider that claim," Touma argued, pointing towards the box that was left behind.

"Oh no, I wanted them to leave this one," Shizuri replied, picking up the box.

"And why is that?"

"Because I wanted to ask you about these magazines I found under your bed," the Level 5 answered, pulling out a magazine from the box with a young maid on the cover.

"I swear that is not mine!" Touma yelled in a panic, "Tsuchimikado must have planted that on me! Little-sister-type-maids are his thing!"

"And the magazines with older girls clad in bikinis?" Shizuri inquired, pulling out another magazine from the box.

"A gift from my friend Aogami," Touma admitted, although not the entire truth.

'Only half of those are from Aogami. The rest I bought myself,' Touma thought to himself.

"Is that so?" Shizuri asked skeptically, putting the magazines back in the box, "I guess you'll just have to give them their supply back later once we're all moved in. Come on, we can't keep the van waiting for too long."

'That was way too close!' Touma thought to himself as he followed his sister into the van.

The van itself was rather nice, complete with leather seats, cupholders, and an onboard video phone. It was as if Touma was riding in some sort of luxury vehicle. He could hardly believe that Shizuri went this far just for the two of them moving in together.

"I can't believe you're doing all this for a move," Touma admitted as the van drove down the street, "All of this must have cost a fortune."

"Don't worry about that. Honestly, all of this and the apartment itself is just a drop in the bucket compared to the funds I get as a Level 5," Shizuri insisted.

"This is just from research stipends, right?" Touma asked nervously, "You're not using any money you got from your… shadier jobs?"

"Of course," Shizuri insisted, "I'm doing all of this for your sake. I wouldn't want to devalue this stuff in your eyes by paying for it with money from questionable sources. What kind of sister would I be if I did that?"

"And for that, I am grateful," Touma said with a slight bow, "So, what's the new apartment like?"

"Well, it's still in District 7, so attending school shouldn't be an issue for you," Shizuri explained, "It's also pretty big, more than enough space for the two of use, and definitely bigger than your old dorm room. I'll save the rest for when we get there."

"You are really set on keeping this place a surprise, huh?" Touma deadpanned.

"Sir, madam, we have arrived," The driver interrupted as he brought the van to a halt.

"Well, it's not going be a surprise for much longer," Shizuri joked as the driver opened the door for the passengers.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Touma was greeted with the sight of a massive skyscraper. While the building was nowhere near the tallest structure in Academy City, it was still at least twenty stories tall. A bit of a ways down the street, Touma could see the moving van from earlier parked in front of the building with all of the boxes no longer inside. To him, this was a good sign since it meant these movers didn't just leave everything in front of the apartment like what happened when Haruue first moved into Uiharu's dorm.

Following his sister inside, the young high school boy rode the elevator at the back of the lobby up to the tenth floor. After exiting the elevator, the siblings walked down the hall until they reached a door with Touma's stuff and the three movers standing just outside it. After Shizuri opened the door, the movers quickly moved the boxes into the apartment, leaving them in a neat pile in the main room. Once everything was put down, the movers gave Shizuri one last bow before wordlessly leaving the premise.

"Well, that takes care of that. All that's left is to unpack everything," Shizuri mused as she walked through the front door, "Come on, Touma."

Despite the rather simple instruction, Touma suddenly found himself with cold feet. It was as if the real gravity of what was happening was only just hitting him in that moment. He was moving in with his older sister. For the first time in a decade, he was going to be living under the same roof as the person who promised to look after him all those years ago.

However, some part of him told him the whole situation was wrong. Shizuri was his sister, but because of his amnesia, he barely knew the first thing about her. Sure, he had his journal, but the information he had on her was technically ten years outdated. So much had changed in time they had been separated. Could he really trust his journal to give him an idea of how Shizuri might act now after everything she has done? Could he really trust this girl he called his sister to actually be suitably considered family?

"Are you okay, Touma?" Shizuri asked, noticing that Touma had yet to follow her in.

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Touma replied, snapping out of his thoughts, "Guess I'm just nervous, that's all."

"…It's because of the work I do, isn't it?" Shizuri deduced, her eyes downcast, "You're having second thoughts about living with me after everything I've done."

"…Yeah, I guess you can say that," Touma admitted shamefully.

"I realize a lot has changed, and chances are things will never go back to how they used to be," Shizuri said, "But I want you to know that me caring about you has never changed. Everything I did, everything I still do, is because I wanted to protect you and give you as normal a life as possible. I want you to be able to feel safe here, safe enough for you to call this place home. For you to call this place with me home. So, can you please give me that chance?"

For a moment, all Touma could do was stare at his sister standing in the doorway. The way she spoke felt so genuine, he couldn't help but believe every word she said. No one, no matter how good of a liar they were, could say something so heartfelt and not mean it. His gaze then dropped to the bottom of the door frame which marked the boarder between the apartment and the hallway. Taking a deep breath, Touma took a somewhat tentative step inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm home," he said, almost timidly.

"Welcome home," Shizuri returned with a smile.

With the Kamijou siblings officially home, Shizuri proceeded to give Touma the grand tour. The first stop was the main room, consisting of a living space about twice the size of Touma's old dorm, complete with previously prepared furniture like a short table, cushiness, a couch, a television, and a dining set. The back wall of the main room was a glass sliding door, leading on to a balcony with a breathtaking view of District 7, with even the Garden of Learning being visible from that vantage point. Partially sectioned off from the main room was the peninsula style kitchen, fully stocked with a refrigerator, stove and over, sink, dishwasher, and cabinets. Nearest to the front door was the bathroom, complete with everything one would need to get ready for the day. The next door was Shizuri's room, which was kept private, and the last door was Touma's room.

For the most part, the room was barren, only having a desk and an empty bed. However, it was only slightly smaller than Touma's old dorm, so it would have plenty of room for all of his personal items. The room also had a built-in closet and a window with a similar view as the balcony, bringing in plenty of natural light. Out of the entire apartment, it was the only room not yet moved into.

"I have to admit, this place is great," Touma said, having taken in everything about the apartment, "This must have cost you a fortune."

"Not really," Shizuri admitted, "This is just a drop in the bucket for me. It might have put a dent in my savings if I got something a bit more extravagant, but I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"And for that, I am grateful," Touma replied.

"So, Touma," Shizuri asked, "Ready to start unpacking?"

It took some time, but eventually, all off Touma's stuff had been unpacked. The closet was fully stocked with all of his clothes, the desk was prepared with all of his books and his laptop, his television was placed on the side of the room, and the bed was set with his futon. Looking around, Touma couldn't help but feel like his new room didn't deviate too much from his old dorm. Actually, the layout was nearly identical, just with a proper desk in place of the old balcony. It was actually a bit reassuring.

Noticing the time, Touma decided it was about time to start preparing dinner, so he checked to fridge to see what they had in stock. Unsurprisingly, since the siblings had only just moved in, there wasn't much food in the fridge, meaning Touma would need to go grocery shopping. Thankfully, Shizuri really did find the perfect location, as the building was only a few blocks away from a grocery store. With Shizuri insisting on coming along, the siblings made their way to the store and gathered all the necessities. With Shizuri's massive Level 5 funds, paying for everything was a cinch, something Touma was ever grateful for. However, Touma was no one to just freeload off of others, especially his own sister, so he had special dinner plans to make it up to her.

Once the siblings returned home, Touma quickly started preparing dinner. He took extra care to make sure that Shizuri was nowhere near the kitchen, which his sister wholeheartedly agreed with. If there was one thing that stayed the same over the last decade besides her love for her brother, it was the fact that Shizuri could not be trusted with a kitchen.

With Shizuri a safe distance away from the kitchen, Touma got started with preparing the evening meal by taking out all the necessary ingredients. Among the ingredients included were salmon filets, shimeji mushrooms, onions, carrots, butter, parsley, a bouillon cube, sake, and some salt and pepper. First, he sprinkled a little bit of sake and salt on both sides of two salmon filets to draw out the moisture, letting them sit so the salt and sake could do its work.

Meanwhile, he julienned an onion and a carrot, cutting them into thin strips. Afterwards, he broke the mushrooms into small, individual pieces, and then diced the parsley. After the moisture had been drawn out of the salmon, Touma wiped it clean with a paper towel and then seasoned it with some salt and pepper. With the salmon seasoned, he laid out two sheets of aluminum foil, and stacked on top of each of them carrots and onion, crushed bouillon cube, salmon, and butter, in that order.

With everything on the aluminum foil, Touma carefully wrapped the food in the foil before placing both packets into a pan. He then put the pan over a low flame on the stove covered it, letting the food cook for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, he took out some mayonnaise and wasabi, filling two saucers with them to make so wasabi mayo. Once the salmon was done cooking, Touma placed each packet onto a plate and opened it, revealing the cooked salmon inside. Finally, he topped off the dish by sprinkling the diced parsley on top.

With the meal prepared, Touma set both plates on the dinner table, along with two sets of chopsticks and saucers of wasabi mayo. When Shizuri sat at the table, all she could do was stare at the dish before her. It was a dish she had not seen in a long time, but one she recognized none the less.

"Salmon and Mushroom Butter Foil Wrap?" Shizuri asked, stunned.

"It's your favorite, isn't it?" Touma replied, "I figured I would make if you, just like back then."

"You remembered?"

"Well, I wrote in my journal at one point," Touma laughed, "I've learned a thing or two since then, even wrote some notes on it, so I'd imagine it's even better now."

"Well, let's see," Shizuri smiled as she clapped her hands together, "Thank you for the food."

"Thank you for the food," Touma followed.

Taking a hold of her chopsticks, Shizuri pulled a piece of salmon off her meal and dipped in the wasabi mayo. She then brought the bit of food to her mouth and was instantly greeted with a blast of flavor and nostalgia. She had always enjoyed the taste of salmon. Anyone who knew of her obsession with salmon bentos could vouch for that. But the taste of Touma's homemade cooking blew all of them out of the water.

"As amazing as ever, Touma," Shizuri said with a smile, "actually, even better than before."

"Glad you think so," Touma replied, taking a bit of his own meal.

The rest of the meal was spent in relative bliss, with the two siblings simply enjoying each other's company, something they've lacked over the last decade. Once the meal was finished, Shizuri volunteered to do the dishes, allowing Touma a chance to take a shower before bed. As he washed off the day's grime, Touma couldn't help but think how much more enjoyable life was going to be now that Shizuri was back in his life. Daily living was going to be much less of a struggle now that she was there to help with the budget and housework, for starter, and knowing that someone would be waiting for him at home at the end of the day meant that there would always be someone to help ease his suffering from his constant bad luck. Truly, everything about the new situation just felt right.

Once he finished with his shower, Touma existed the bathroom to see Shizuri on the couch with her nose deep in a book, as if to give him some reassurance that he was going to get plenty of privacy. Thankful for the gesture, he quickly made his way to his room and got ready for bed, having remedial classes in the morning. As he laid in bed, Touma couldn't help but smile at his new life style with his sister. As he fell asleep, he couldn't help but feel like maybe he wasn't all that misfortunate.

* * *

Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple

"Hey-o, everybody!" Animan yelled as he burst out of the temple door, "It's me, your host, Animan von Elysium X! Along with my assistant, Priestess Number 1: Aisa Himegami!"

"Greeting again, everyone," the priestess said with a bow as she calmly followed the temple's master.

"I'd say that was a rather nice day in the life of Touma Kamijou, wouldn't you say?" Animan asked, leaning on Mugen for support.

"Indeed. It very much felt like something from that magic anime with the recognizable characters cooking and eating together without any conflict," Himegami agreed.

 **"Still, it would have been nice to see some action this time around," Animan whined as he started swinging the activated Mugen wildly, "I'm starving for some high energy, Esper fights!"**

 **"I'm sure you'll get plenty of those soon, Master," the priestess said** **reassuringly** **, casually dodging the wild swings, "Especially with the arc that's coming up."**

 **"Indeed!" the master of the temple yelled as he planted his laser sword into the ground, "Next up is the start of the Silent Party Arc with the next chapter, 'Lost Child'! See you all then!"**

 **"See you all soon," Himegami added with a bow.**


	44. Lost Child

**Hello, Interent. I'm back with another chapter. Sorry this one took a bit of time. Ended up longer than expected. After a quick original chapter, we're getting back into the main story arcs with the infamous Silent Party Arc. With any luck, I can rewrite this version to be a bit more appealing and avoid the issues that plagued the original broadcast. Well, one step at a time, I guess.**

 **For now, let's get those reviews answered.**

 **OnePunchPlayer: Of course. Touma is actually one of the quickest thinkers in the story once he gets he facts straight, though social obliviousness is one of the things that makes him charming, at least in my opinion anyway. I looked up the term Ahamkara, but all I got was a dragon species fron Destiny and a term in Sanskrit that refers to one's connection to their ego. Not entirely sure where you were going with that.**

 **BlueJack22: That bad, huh?**

 **Healthcare: Glad you liked the last chapter. The lack of Mikoto and the Railgang in the last arc was more a result of what the arc was. If there was a feasible way to include them without making them feel shoehorned in, I would have been more than happy to do so.**

 **mohamadstar94: Yeah, still working on getting my editing down. Here here to Railgun 3!**

 **felixiglesias8: Febri is incoming! Glad you liked the chapter.**

 **shiroryuu012: Oh, you know it. With everything good that happened last chapter, you can expect a lot of misfortune in the near future.**

 **SolanaLeonhart: Nice to see that someone thought the fights made sense. Glad you liked the wrap up to the Angel Fall Arc.**

 **Percyfan1998: It just seemed like an interesting idea to toy with. I already have things planned for future arcs, so expect things to get pretty wild later on.**

 **PrinnyMuchIt: Your sympathies are very much appreciated. Glad you liked the filler chapter so much.**

 **Exiled Soul Nomad: Less an abrupt shift, more like moving day closed the misfortune main and now pressure is building in the pipes. there will be leaks, but the pipes will eventually burst.**

 **ahsoei: She's been living with Saten every since the Deep Blood Arc. I know that was a while back and I don't touch on it very often, but I'm surprised people forget that detail. I still had scenes with Touma in his dorm alone, so that makes the confusion even stranger.**

 **Berix: Hit the nail right on the head! Where did you think I got the recipe from?**

 **RPGPersona: Things will certainly be more interesting, but not necessarily better, as you'll see in this chapter. Well, if your crush's older sister happens to be a secret hit-woman that hates you with a passion, you're going to be more than a bit cautious about everything. Like Shizuri said, best movers in the city. She's just really excited to be able to reconnect with her brother. Meeting Tsuchimikado was just a stroke of luck for her. I have big plans for Touma and future interactions with ITEM, but they won't come into play until the Battle Royale Arc. Let's just say I'm going to be cutting certain things in that arc. For me, the biggest issue with the arc was how it tired to portray itself as starting just after the Sisters Arc and ending just after the Three Stories Arc with that shot of Accelerator in a hospital room with Last Order, which conflicts with the fact that Mikoto should have met Touma again and gone on a fake date to lose the fake Unabara, something she couldn't have done if she was worried about protecting Febri. I plan to rectify that with this current set up an realigning all the arcs to more appropriate relative placements. The arc itself was pretty good on paper, exploring how the research is often overlooked for the results (Espers). It just stumbled in execution.**

 **LookItsADoggy: That's just a result of how the arcs are laid out. Accelerator doesn't have any real significance in the canon story until the Three Stories Arc, but the wait is made even longer with inclusion of story arcs from Railgun. I want Accelerator as much as everyone else, but it just doesn't fit with the current events. Once he's reintroduced in the Three Stories Arc, he will definitely be given a spotlight.**

 **RedSS: So, not my best work, but not my worst. I can live with that. I wanted the chapter to be a bit longer, but I just ran out of things to write.**

 **SoulReaver267: Glad you liked the chapter. I just thought it better to leave the interactions in the hospital room to the imagination. However, you can expect plenty of mentions of the incident in the Daihasei Festival. I've had that reunion planned from the very beginning. Let's just say it might not be what anyone expected.**

 **Guest (1): Well, here it is.**

 **Generation Zero: I do like a good slice of life every once and a while. I'm planning of having Shizuri get involved in magic, just not quite yet. I want more Accelerator involved, but he just has no significance until the Three Stories Arc, which is unfortunately pushed back by the Silent Party Arc.**

 **fencer29: Well, at least he managed to get her off his scent. Of course, now he has to donate his collection to Aogami or risk being found out again.**

 **Guest (2): Glad you liked the chapter. The important thing to remember about Touma and Accelerator's relationship is that Touma was the one person Accelerator was not able to hurt. Both of them were outcasts because of their powers, Touma's bringing bad luck and Accelerator's literally pushing everyone away. As the old saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. They grew close because they were the first people in each other's lives to not be driven away.**

 **ArmoredCoreNineBall: I considered something like that, but I decided against it. There is a time and place to undercut a moment like that, and it didn't seem like the time or place for that. You'll see what I mean in this chapter. The only hint I'll give you is that I'm a firm believer of comedy coming in three's. Plus, My current set up is that Shizuri would want to keep Touma and ITEM as separated as possible for his safety. I actually have other plans for Tsuchimikado, which will come into play in the next chapter. The extra bit of lore I added in the last chapter was something I had rolling around in my head for a while. I thought to myself, "We have a boy with the ultimate power balancer in his right hand and has a name so layered with alternative interpretations there had to be some significance to it all." So, I created the backstory for Touma's entire family. It also helped to explain Shizuri being such a powerful Esper and Touya having accidentally cast Angel Fall. Feng Shui may rely mostly on symbols and the Earth's energy, but it always gave the impression that it at least needed the caster to act as a trigger for the spells to be cased, so making the Kamijou's the descendants of an ancient clan gifted with innate supernatural powers helps to explain why Touya could trigger the spell.**

 **Kami (Guest): Sorry to hear that.**

 **A certain guest (Guest): That is certainly one way to look at Shizuri's reaction to Saten. Shizuri wanted to live a simple life with her brother, uninvolved with anything supernatural or extraordinary, but threw it all away in a desperate attempt to give Touma that life. On the other hand, Saten had that life, but threw it all away and left her brother and the rest of her family behind to become an Esper, something that amount to nothing since she's on the lower end of the Parameter List. I would imagine they would envy each other, with Saten wishing she could have had her family with her and an Esper power like Shizuri, while Shizuri wishing she could have had the life Saten abandoned. I might just use that later.**

 **im waiting (Guest): Wait no longer.**

 **Alright, you know the drill. Disclaimer, story chapter, Animan Temple. Let's just get this taken care of.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 44: Lost Child

When Touma woke up the next morning, he left his room to find a note sitting on the dinner table. Apparently, Shizuri had gotten an emergency call last night for a job and wasn't going to be home that morning. According to the note, her latest assignment was scheduled for three in the morning, practically the dead of night, and thus wasn't going to allow her to be home that morning.

"Well, so much for having a family breakfast," Touma sighed in exasperation, "Hopefully this job isn't anything too serious."

Throwing the note away, Touma got to work preparing his morning's breakfast. Thanks to all the shopping he and Shizuri did the other day and his sister's generous savings, food was practically not an issue for the misfortunate Kamijou. A quick but filling breakfast was simple enough to make, and Touma as out the door soon after, ready for his surely hectic day.

The first stop of the day was a certain high school where Touma was scheduled to have another summer remedial class. Thanks to his constant misadventures and visits to the hospital, his overall attendance has taken a considerable hit. The result was spending a few classes over the summer to catch up on his missed sessions. Unfortunately, the absences continued over the summer thanks to the same reasons as before, so Touma had to take even more classes then what was normally required. His only saving grace was the fact that he had the company of his two friends, Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who both regularly skipped class because of their own personal antics.

Miraculously, the remedial class went without a hitch. No stupid debates on perverted topics from the members of the Delta Force. No pointless brawls breaking out because of disagreements in said debates. No manipulative crying from their adorably small teacher to get them to stop such pointless brawls. Truly, a miracle unlike any other Touma has seen, and he's seen a lot.

Once the remedial class was over for the day, the Delta Force lounged around in the classroom for a bit, taking their time to leave. As they walked out the school, the group took a moment to catch up after Touma had once again been released from the hospital.

"So Kami, how's it feel to be out of the hospital again?" Tsuchimikado asked.

"About the same as every other time I've gotten out of the hospital," Touma deadpanned as he pulled out a stack of magazines from his bag, "Here, you take these back."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the blond boy lied, "But, I'll happily take this gift from you. You really do know my tastes."

"And these are for you, Aogami," Touma added, pulling out another stack of magazines, "The issues you lent me, plus a few more extra."

"Thanks, but why the extra? Not that I'm complaining," the blue haired boy asked.

"Because he just moved in with his sister and she found his stash, so now he's being forced to get rid of it," Tsuchimikado said with a cheeky smile.

"Only because you gave her the spare key and let her in ahead of me!" Touma cried, "Also, how did you know that?!"

"The dorm's walls are paper thin. I could hear everything from my room," the undercover freelance spy replied, "You should know this, Kami, you used to live there just the other day."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about having you as a neighbor," Touma grumbled.

"So, what's your sister like?" Aogami asked out of curiosity.

"Like I'm telling the biggest pervert I know the first thing about my older sister," the misfortunate boy replied.

"She's a total hottie and the bonified dotting-older-sister type," Tsuchimikado answered, earning himself a smack on the back of his head from Touma.

"Next person to talk about my sister that way is getting my signature right hook!" Touma warned menacingly.

"Just being honest," Tsuchimikado grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"She on the market?" Aogami bravely asked, ready for whatever damage Touma was willing to do.

"Don't test me," the Certain Strange Addition to Judgement warned, "Even if she was, she's a Level 5 with a serious temper. If you tried to ask her out, she'd probably disintegrate you on principle alone, especially since you're such a pervert."

"Harsh," Aogami shivered as they reached the bottom of the hill their school was located on, "Well, I better get going. I need to get to work."

"Wait, you have a job? And you actually care about it?" Touma asked in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

"Gotta pay my bills somehow. Not all of use know two Level 5's we can mooch off of," the blue hair boy countered.

"I only get financial support from one of them, and I'm not mooching. I only use what I need," Touma argued back, "What is this job anyway?"

"Aogami is helping to promote a Frog Warp Experiment at a venue for the Academy City Research Form Assembly," Tsuchimikado explained, "He's supposed to dress up in a Gekota costume and hold up a sign for the experiment, directing people towards the presentation."

"That's your job?" Touma deadpanned.

"Hey, it gives me money, so I'm not complaining," the blue haired boy shrugged.

"Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure Judgement was called in to help with security during the assembly," Touma pondered.

"Well, I better get going before I'm late," Aogami yelled as he ran off, "I'll see you guys later."

"Later man!" Tsuchimikado said with a wave.

"I better get going too," Touma added, "I'm supposed to meet with the girls at the hospital in a little bit."

"I never knew you were such a masochist," Tsuchimikado joked, "That desperate to get back in the hospital, huh?"

"You of all people should know that's not true," Touma deadpanned, alluding to Tsuchimikado's role as a spy, "We just got news that a friend was being discharged soon, so we were going to visit her."

"Going to try and make a move on her as she gets out of the hospital, huh? What would the Railgun think if she got wind of this?" the sunglass wearing boy teased.

"Good bye, Tsuchimikado!" Touma yelled as he walked away, ignoring his friend's laughter behind him.

* * *

When Touma arrived at Heaven Canceller's hospital, the first thing he noticed about it was how crowded the visitor's lobby was. It took a bit of searching, but he managed to find Mikoto in the lobby, talking with some boy he didn't recognize. While Touma was not one to be jealous, and he really had no reason to be considering his and Mikoto's ambiguous relationship, he was not above teasing others. It was a sort of negative habit he picked up from being the constant victim of such actions. So as soon as the other guy was gone, Touma made his move.

"Hey Zapper," Touma greeted as he approached.

"I'd really wish you'd stop using that nickname," Mikoto grumbled under her breath, "Hey idiot. You took your time getting here."

"Remedial class," Touma shrugged, "So, who was that guy? Secret boyfriend you've been seeing behind my back?"

"Why would you care? It's not like we're dating or anything," Mikoto replied, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Oof, you wound me so, Mikoto," Touma cried, feigning rejection, clutching his heart, "To think you would move on so quickly."

"What can I say? I got impatient and decided to stop waiting for an answer," the Level 5 fired back, turning her head away from the Level 0, "It's your own fault for taking so long."

The two students held these acts for a second before suddenly bursting into laughter, letting their façade finally drop.

"Oh man, that was so cheesy!" Mikoto laughed.

"Seriously! I've read my fair share of crappy scenarios in gal games, but that was just plain bad!" Touma agreed through his own laughter, "You're getting better at this. A month ago, I would have expected you to start babbling nonsense and exploding with electricity."

"Give me some credit. I can't woo the guy I like if I can't even comfortably hold a conversation with him," Mikoto argued.

"Oh, and who might this guy be?" Touma asked as he leaned in, playing coy.

"Alright, knock it off, idiot," the Level 5 joking demanded, giving her crush a light punch on the shoulder.

"My, you two have gotten pretty close, haven't you?" a familiar voice said from behind Touma.

Recognizing the voice, the confidence Mikoto was beaming with all but vanished as she froze in place. Touma had a similar reaction, though his was more out of surprise rather than embarrassment. Turning around, Touma was greeted by the sight of Index and a cheeky grinned Saten, who held a paper bag of apples close to her chest. With that grin on her face, Touma could only hope for Mikoto's sake that the fellow Level 0 hadn't been listening for too long.

"Hey, Flipper, Index," Touma greeted, "When did you get here?"

"We just arrived," Index replied.

"H-how much of that did you hear?" Mikoto stuttered.

"Only after all the laughter," the rumor hunter answered, "What was so funny and cheesy anyway?"

"Oh! Uh…" Mikoto trailed.

"Zapper here was just telling me about this article she read in a magazine at the convince store," Touma supplemented, "Out of curiosity, she looked at a dating magazine and found some really terrible pick-up lines in them, so she ran them past me, our resident semi-professional match maker."

"Y-yeah," Mikoto added with a blush, "Even though this idiot couldn't get a date to save his life, I wanted to see what he thought of them since he knows so much about making other couples happy."

"Is that so?" Saten asked with a smirk.

"There you all are," Kuroko called out as she suddenly approached the group, along with Uiharu and Haruue, "What took you so long?"

"Actually," Saten answered, "Misaka and Kamijou were-"

"Oh look, the elevator is here!" Mikoto cried as she started pushing Uiharu and Haruue towards the lift, cutting Saten off, "Come on, let's go! Quickly now, everybody!"

'I guess some thing will just never change," Touma thought with a smile as he, Kuroko, Saten, and Index followed their friends.

* * *

"Congratulations, Edasaki," Mikoto said once the group reached the bedridden girl's hospital room, "We heard you were getting discharged soon. Right?"

"Yeah, I am! I owe it all to you guys," Edasaki happily replied, "Having that uniform waiting for me really inspired me to work hard and finish my rehabilitation before summer was over."

"So, you all set for when you get out of here?" Touma asked once everyone had settled down in the room.

"Yup," Edasaki replied.

"Actually, Edasaki is going to be living with Haruue," Uiharu added as she peeled their friend an apple that Saten brought along.

"Really?" Saten asked, surprised.

"That's right," the flower haired girl confirmed.

"It's just that I have been living in a Child Error facility for so long that living on my own all of a sudden would be a pretty tough transition," the hospitalized girl explained.

"True. You did lose a couple years to that coma," Kuroko nodded.

"So, I talked to my teachers about it, and they gave Banri and I the okay to share a place," Haruue added.

"Oh, that's nice," Mikoto noted.

"So, you're moving again, huh?" Kuroko asked, "We'd be happy to come by and help you guys out."

"I actually moved in with my sister the other day," Touma added, "She knows the best movers in the city, so I can probably hire their help too."

"That's okay," Haruue cut in, "Uiharu and I already took care of everything."

"Seriously?" Saten asked in surprise.

"Yup! We made a few calls and got the movers lined up for tomorrow," Uiharu confirmed, handing Index an apple slice to occupy her.

"That was fast," Mikoto noted.

"You could have at least asked us," Kuroko reprimanded.

* * *

Once the group finished their visit, Haruue stayed behind to finish sorting out a few details with Edatsaki. This left the rest of the group with the rest of the day to wander about the city and discuss the recent turn of events.

"Really Uiharu, all of us would have been willing to help out on moving day," Saten reprimanded.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Uiharu insisted, "It's not that big a deal. Of course, the place is a huge mess of boxes right now."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Mikoto quipped, "Remember what the place was like when she first moved in with you? Talking about cluttered."

"There's even more boxes now than there were back then," Uiharu admitted, "Which is strange since she didn't actually live there for that long."

"Yeah, times sure flies," Touma mused, "Now that I think about it, she moved in with you not too long after I got my arm reattached in the hospital, and that was early in the summer. We're only reaching the tail end of the summer break now."

"Speaking of time flying, isn't it about that time?" Kuroko asked.

"Aw man! Is it that late already?!" Touma cried, looking at the time on his ODD bracelet.

"You okay there, idiot?" Mikoto asked, one part concerned, one part annoyed by the overblow reaction, "What exactly are you running late for?"

"Sorry, it's just some Judgement work we need to get taken care of." Touma apologized, rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"Judgement was asked to do security for the upcoming Academic Reach Assembly," Kuroko explained.

"Today is the preliminary inspection," Uiharu added.

"Oh, that explains that," Mikoto replied.

"Sorry," Saten interrupted, "I don't really understand what a school assembly would need security for."

"Me too," Index added, "Is it really that important?"

"Oh, I can see why you two are confused," Uiharu sighed, "Shirai didn't use it's full name. The Academy City Research Form Assembly. It's called Academic Reach for short."

"Academy City students are dedicated to research as study. Those with outstanding grades are given a setting in which they can share their work with others," Kuroko explained, presenting the assembly's homepage on her phone, "That's what the Academy City Research Form Assembly is. Qualification is based on student's academic work instead of their Esper abilities."

"Oh, I see," Saten mused, "That sounds kind of fun. It's like a festival for smart people."

"Sounds kind of boring to me," Index deadpanned.

"Well, it's less like a festival, more like a really big science fair," Touma clarified, "If you don't have a particular interest in research, it's not going to be too appealing."

"There are professional quality presentations, great lectures, and all sorts of other stuff!" Uiharu gushed.

"Yeah? I don't really get it, but it sounds pretty cool," Saten said, "I wonder why they decided to start doing it this year?"

"Huh?" everyone else other than Index said in response.

"Um, Saten," Uiharu injected, "They actually do this every year."

"Huh?! Seriously?!" the skirt flipper asked in surprised.

"Yeah. I've been going to them for the last couple of years now, personally," Touma admitted.

"Why would you do that? I though you said your grades weren't the best," Index asked.

"That's precisely why, actually," Touma explained with tears in his eyes, "I do it for the extra credit."

"Well, we better get going," Kuroko said as she put on her Judgement armband and placed a hand on Uiharu's shoulder, "Sorry, Kamijou. You know where the first location is. Try to keep up."

Without saying another word, Kuroko and Uiharu teleported away, momentarily flickering into three-dimensional space a few meters down the street every half-second. For a moment, Touma could only stare down the street, completely stunned as he watched his coworkers leave without him. Once the thought of what exactly happened to him had finally settled, he slipped on his own armband and took off run, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Damn it, Pigtails! Just because you can't teleport me too doesn't mean you can just leave me behind like that!" he screamed as he hopelessly tried to tail the girls, "Rotten luck!"

Meanwhile, Mikoto, Saten, and Index could only watch with stiff smiles as Touma chased after the rest of their friends, having completely forgotten to give them a proper farewell.

* * *

As Touma ran down the street after his coworkers, he couldn't help but feel his entire endeavor was completely pointless. At this point, the pair of girls had long since disappeared from his line of sight, most likely having already reached their destination. With her Teleportation, Kuroko could cover massive stretches of distance in only a fraction of the time traditional movement could accomplish. Really, Touma running was just a massive waste of energy.

Stopping to catch his breath, Touma looked around to get his bearings as to where in Academy City he was at the moment. Judging by the buildings around him, he was definitely still in District 7 and all the stores told him he was in the commercial subdistrict. To the east of his current position, Touma could see the currently under construction space elevator known as Endymion, further solidifying his accession as the space elevator was being built in District 23, east of District 7. As he continued to observe, Touma suddenly heard the cry of a woman in distress.

"Somebody, please help!" the voice cried out, "That man took my bag!"

Looking in the direction that the voice came from, Touma saw a young woman, approximately of high school age, knocked down on the ground about a block away. Further down the street was a man in a bandanna, frantically running away as he clutched something too his chest.

'Well, duty calls,' Touma thought to himself as he started running towards the scene of the crime.

However, Touma found himself doing very little in the grand scheme of things. By the time he had managed to cover half a block's worth of distance towards the collapsed woman, the suspected perpetrator of the theft was struck with what Touma could only describe as a ballistic trash can. The suspect was left unconscious in the middle of the street, flat on his back in a pile of empty soda cans. By the time Touma reached the woman, a crowd had gathered around the fallen thief, clearly interested by the unexpected turn of events.

"Are you okay, Miss?" Touma asked as he helped the theft victim off the ground.

"Yes, thank you," the woman replied with a slight blush.

"It is the height of stupidity to perpetrate such a brazen theft in broad daylight on such busy streets," a voice cried out from the crowd, "You're a moron and a criminal, and I will not allow you to roam the streets any longer. You're done! Mitsuko Kongou as spoken!"

"Kongou always comes through," a brown haired Tokiwadai girl gushed through the rising cheers.

"She's so amazing," a black haired Tokiwadai girl agreed.

"Should figured it was you, Airhead," Touma greeted as he made his way through the crowd.

"Oh! Kamijou. I didn't expect to see you here," Kongou greeted in reply.

"Just passing through," Touma said with a shrug, nodding towards the unconscious criminal, "Guess I showed up at just the right time."

"Long time no see, Kamijou," the brown hair girl said.

"It a pleasure to meet you again," the black hair girl added.

"You remember my friends, Wannai and Awatsuki, don't you?" Kongou asked, gesturing to the brown-haired girl and the black-haired girl respectively, "You met them back during the swimsuit photoshoot."

"Oh yeah," Touma lied, only vaguely remembering them from the journal entry regarding that event, "It's good to see you two again."

Touma offered both girls a handshake but was surprised when they simply stared at it with ever so slight blushes.

"Heh. Too forward, I guess?" Touma laughed awkwardly as he pulled his hand back, "Forgot you girls are pretty sheltered, being from a girls-only school. Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine!" Wannai insisted.

"So, what about him?" Awatsuki asked, pointing towards the still unconscious man.

"I'll take it from here," Touma replied as brought his ODD bracelet to his face, "This is Touma Kamijou of Judgement Branch 177 requesting Anti-Skill assistance. I have a convict here in need of processing and potential medical treatment."

With his request made, Touma picked up the purse that had been stolen and swiftly returned it to its rightful owner. Afterwards, he requested her to stay until Anti-Skill arrived so she can give her testimony for the official report. He also asked Kongou to do the same since she was the reason the convict was apprehended in the first place.

"Thanks for the help, by the way," Touma said to Kongou.

"Oh, think nothing of it," the Level 4 haughtily insisted, hiding behind her fan "All in a day's work."

"Excuse me, do you have a moment?" a man with black hair and glasses interrupted, "I saw what happened here. Don't you think you went a little overboard?"

"I'm sorry?" Kongou asked, confused.

"It doesn't matter if the person is a purse snatching miscreant or not," the man continued, "I don't think you should be using your power so recklessly."

"And who are you to sa-" the Level 4 tried to counter before being cut off.

"There are a number of ways you could have handled the situation and any one of them would have been better," the man went on, "For example, there is an Anti-Skill booth not too far away from here, not to mention the security cameras surrounding the area. In addition, your friend here is a Judgement Officer and was within the area. You could have easily alerted him instead of taking action yourself."

"What exactly are yo-" Kongou tried to speak again, once again stopped by the man raising a hand.

"If I may continue. Did you not even stop to think for a moment about how much danger you were exposing everyone here to?" the man continued, proving his point by kicking the convict's hand to reveal a switch blade, "Fortunately for us, you were able to incapacitate him in one shot this time. Can you begin to imagine the results if you had failed to do so? Thief would have been furious. He could have taken a woman or a child hostage."

The once cheering crowd now feel into quiet murmuring. Because of this one man, all of Kongou's good will was being put into question by a single, well-articulated seed of doubt. Kongou herself was beginning to question whether she took the proper course of action.

"You seem to be quite confident in yourself and your power," the man concluded, "but an Esper Ability isn't always the answer."

"I… didn't mean to…" the Level 4 trailed.

"That's nothing but a load of pretentious crap," Touma but in, earning him the attention of everyone present.

"Kamijou…," Kongou whispered in disbelief as he stepped up to her defense.

"Pretentious, you say?" the man inquired.

"You heard me," Touma replied, stepping forward, "Everything you said is true. Maybe there were more passive options, and maybe the choice she made had some risks, but none of that matters. She saw someone that needed help and acted quickly on her own to lend a hand. She looked at what she knew and what she had to work with and made a solution that suited her situation.

"Every solution you provided required time and information that she just didn't have! Trying to contact Anti-Skill or myself would be time for the criminal to get away! Even if everything was caught on camera, those can just as easily be tampered with! Even if the convict used his weapon, she had no way of knowing it was in his hand! The one thing you forgot is that no solution is flawless! You think that you could have done better because you think your smarter, but the real difference is that she was willing to take a leap of faith while you stood idly by! She may be an airhead at times, but Kongou is no idiot!"

For a moment, nobody in the crowd said a word. Everyone present was at a complete loss for words. No one had ever heard someone so passionately and articulately counter another person's beliefs before, let alone do it on such short notice. And all of that was done simply because the person across from him was being disrespectful of someone else's good intentions.

The man in glasses was especially thrown off by the recent turn of events. He held himself as a man of intellect, and the student in front of him seemed to aim to completely destroy that with only his presence. The thought of that made the man furious, but he didn't let it show on his face. He was better than that. He wasn't about to let his emotions get the better of him and make a scene.

Soon enough, Anti-Skill arrived and started the due process of arresting the thief. With the arrest underway, Anti-Skill started herding people not directly involved in the incident away so they could continue their work with minimum distractions, leaving only Kongou, Touma, and the theft victim to give their accounts for the report. As the man with glasses took his leave, he gave Touma one last look and asked a very simple question.

"Excuse me, young man. May I ask what your name is?" the man asked as politely as he could manage.

"Touma Kamijou," the member of Judgement replied, barely sparring the man a glance.

"I see," the man mused quietly as he adjusted his glasses, "That explains it."

As the man walked away, Touma continued to give his report as to what happened during the attempted robbery. Once he finished, he resumed his trek to the preliminary inspections for the Academic Reach.

* * *

When Touma finally got home, his was extremely exhausted. In addition to being left behind by Kuroko and Uiharu on the account that Imagine Breaker made it impossible for him to teleport, the trio of Judgement Officers had to do preliminary inspections across several different universities in Academy City, most of which were in completely separate parts of the city. This meant an ungodly amount of walking for the unlucky Kamijou, leaving him tired beyond belief.

As he entered his new, shared apartment, Touma was greeted by the sight of his sister relaxing on the couch in front of the television.

"I'm home," Touma called out as he left his shoes at the door.

"Welcome home," Shizuri replied, "How was your day?"

"Exhausting. Judgement had to do the preliminary inspections for the Academic Reach Assembly, which took forever to finish up," Touma answered collapsing on the couch next to his sister, noticing the bandage on her cheek, "How about you? Did your job go well?"

"Normally, that kind of information would be classified," Shizuri explained, "But given that the job was a total bust, I don't see any issue with telling you."

"What happened?"

"The job was to stop an illegal arms deal," Shizuri explained, "But when my team and I got there, there was no arms deal in sight. Instead, we attacked by a bunch of Powered Suits."

"Is that how you got that cut on your cheek?" Touma asked, pointing at his sister's bandage.

"Just a flesh wound. It's more of an annoyance, really."

"No one died, right?" Touma asked wearily.

"It'll take more than a few Powered Suits to take me and my team down," Shizuri answered confidently, "Plus, the suits were unmanned, so even if I tried to kill someone, there would be no one to kill."

"That's a relief," Touma said as he relaxed into the couch.

For a moment, Touma simply let himself relax. Shizuri really did pick a perfect apartment. Even if he just moved in yesterday, it was already starting to feel like home. Of course, having his sister sitting right next to him helped with that. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last very long as Shizuri's cell phone began to ring.

"Work again?" Touma asked as Shizuri answered to phone.

"Yeah," Shizuri answered after hanging up and heading to the front door, "Its another emergency job. I have to go. Hopefully this one isn't another bust."

"Remember, no killing," the Level 0 insisted as he followed his sister.

"I'll do what I can," the Level 5 promised as she put on her shoes, "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Touma waved as Shizuri left the apartment.

With his sister now gone, Touma let out a heavy sigh at the string of unfortunate events.

"Well, so much for eating dinner together," Touma lamented, "Guess I'll start with dinner."

* * *

The next day, Touma, Mikoto, and everyone else had gathered at Heaven Canceller's hospital. The group waited outside, patiently waiting for their guest of honor. Soon enough, that guest of honor stepped out of the hospital, dressed in a sailor style middle school uniform.

"Well, here I am," Edasaki greeted the group once she exited the hospital, "So, how is it?"

"Perfect! Totally cute," Saten cheered.

"It looks fantastic on you," Uiharu complimented.

"Aw, thank you!" the newly released girl replied.

"Here, these are for you," Mikoto said as he handed Edasaki a bouquet of flowers, "It's our way of saying congratulations."

"Congratulations!" everyone else applauded.

"You're lucky. I never get this much applause when I get out of the hospital," Touma joked.

"That's because you're always in the hospital, idiot," Mikoto countered.

"So, we ready to go?" Saten asked the group.

"Where to?" Edasaki asked, confused.

"A special celebration we set up, just for you!" Haruue explained.

"Kazari reserved a table at a restaurant that serves the best cakes in the city!" Index cheered, already starting to drool.

As the gluttonous girls of the group began to fawn over the idea of cake, Touma received a call on the Judgement line on his ODD bracelet. Turning away from the group and tuning out the cake talk, Touma answered the call.

"This is Kamijou," he said into the bracelet.

"Hey Kamijou, it Konori," the chief of Judgement Branch 177 said over the line.

"Something the matter?"

"We have traffic signal trouble over here!"

"Traffic signal trouble?" Touma asked again, sparing Mikoto a glance.

"What's that look supposed to mean?! I didn't do anything!" Mikoto yelled in defense.

"The signals in this area are down across the board! I'm sorry to ask, but I need you here now!" Konori ordered.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Chef," Touma replied as he hung up.

"Uiharu's needed too?" Mikoto asked, noticing her friend slipping on her armband along with Kuroko.

"Of course," Uiharu replied.

"No, you can't," Saten argued.

"Edasaki is just getting released from the hospital," Kuroko added, "Kamijou and I can cover this. You stay here."

"Really, it's not a big deal," Touma insisted.

"What are you talking about? I am a member of Judgement," Uiharu argued back, before turning the Haruue and Edasaki, "Please start without us. We'll be back as soon as we're done with this."

"We'll see you later then," Haruue agreed with a nod.

"Good luck with those stoplights," Edasaki encouraged.

"Thanks. Let's go, Shirai," Uiharu said, stretching her hand out to her longtime partner.

"Oh, right. Well then…," Kuroko said as she grabbed Uiharu's hand and teleported both of them away, leaving Touma behind once again.

"They're gone!" Edasaki cried in surprise.

"Damn it! They did it to me again!" Touma yelled as he took off running, "Index, remember what I told you about self-control! No more than one slice of cake at a time and only one bite at a time! Do not eat entire cakes by yourself! And most importantly, don't abuse Mikoto's budgeeeeeeeeeet!"

As Touma ran after his friends in a second vain attempt to catch up to a teleporter in the last two days, the girls could only let out a stiff laugh as Touma perused the hopeless endeavor.

* * *

After an exhausting run through the city and several hours of directing traffic in an ugly helmet, Touma was finally able to take a breath to relax. The sun was starting to go down, but all the traffic lights were finally working properly again. Truly, the sight of steadily controlled traffic was one to behold, especially after having to direct it for several hours straight.

"Good work today," Konori complimented Kuroko and Touma as they watched traffic resume from a bridge, "Sorry I had to call you out of the blue like that."

"All in a day's work, right? Don't mention it," Touma insisted.

"Stoplight trouble of all things. I was kind of surprised," Kuroko admitted.

"There was some irregularity in the electrical system," Konori explained.

"But in Academy City? It's unusual for things like that to happen here, you know?" Kuroko pointed out skeptically.

"This coming from the girl with the ability to teleport and isn't afraid to use it to sexually assault her idol," Touma snarked, "Thanks for leaving me behind again, by the way."

"There you are!" Uiharu cried as she ran towards the group, violently grabbing Kuroko's arm.

"Jeez, what's gotten into you?!" Kuroko asked as she was pulled at.

"Please, there's someplace I need you to take me!" the headband wearing girl begged.

"Relax, will ya? We're done here so we're meeting with the others now," Touma explained, not completely sure why his friend was in such a rush.

"No, not there!" Uiharu clarified loudly, "There's somewhere else I need to go before that!"

"Huh?" Kuroko and Touma asked, tilting their heads.

* * *

With how late it was getting, Mikoto, Saten, and Haruue were starting to get worried about their absent friends. They had been at the restaurant for several hours, but three of their friends had yet to show up after being called in for an emergency. Even the ever-gluttonous Index had stopped eating out of worry for Touma, Kuroko, and Uiharu. Given the fact that it was so late that guest of honor Edasaki had to leave to take care of some errands at the hospital, there was definitely a cause for concern.

Having been pushed by her own sense of worry, Saten began dialing on her phone to call their missing friends. However, as if on cue, Uiharu and Kuroko suddenly teleported into the room, with Uiharu holding a cardboard box of some sort. After apologizing, the two girls were given a rundown as to what had happened in their absence and were explained why Edasaki had left. Once she was caught up on everything, Uiharu offered the box in her hands to her former roommate.

"Here. These are for you and Edasaki to share," Uiharu explained.

When Haruue opened the box, everyone was surprised to see that it contained a set of fish shaped cakes. The girls were quick to criticize their friend for the gift considering they had just finished eating cake at the restaurant. Uiharu tried to explain herself, but found it was unnecessary since Haruue understood the significance of the cakes immediately.

"They look just like they did before," Haruue noted, cutting off everyone's arguing, "These are the same little cakes Uiharu bought me once when I was nervous to make me feel better. They were so delicious."

The sight of the cakes stirred bittersweet memories for Haruue. As she remembered everything that Uiharu had done for her, she found herself unable to hold back her tears. The flood of tears from her dear friend caused Uiharu a great deal of distress, worrying she had done something wrong.

"Are you okay?" the headband wearing girl asked her friend.

"I'm hopeless. I promised myself I wouldn't cry today," Haruue sobbed, "Uiharu, I want to be like you. So kind and considerate. I want to help Banri like you helped me."

"It will be alright. You'll do fine, Haruue," Uiharu said reassuringly as she kneeled down next to her friend, "I know it. You can do this."

"Thank you so much!" Haruue cried as she pulled her friend into a hug.

As her friend continued to cry over her shoulder, Uiharu desperately tired to comfort Haruue as she continued to cry her heart out. Unfortunately, these efforts were in vain as Uiharu found herself crying as well, holding her friend tight as she returned the hug, both of them completely cut off from the rest of the world. All that mattered in that moment for both girls was the person in their arms.

The rest of the girls couldn't help but smile peacefully as they watched their friends bawl their eyes out. There was just something so peaceful about two middle school girls crying like babies over their mutual friendship. Sadly, the moment didn't stay peaceful for long as it was interrupted by the sound of heavy steps and heavy breath. Looking to the restaurant porch outside, Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, and Index saw a very exhausted Touma leaning on the frame of the restaurant's glass pane sliding door. Based on his condition, the could only guess he had run across the city in a desperate attempt to catch up to the teleporting Kuroko, who once again left him behind.

"What… did I… miss?" Touma asked in-between breathes.

* * *

Once everyone had calmed down, the group took their leave from the restaurant and went their separate ways. Haruue headed for her new home with Edasaki while everyone else headed for their respective dorms and apartments which happened to all be in the same direction.

"You know, I wonder how much of a help I actually was to Haruue," Uiharu admitted as they trekked home.

"Oh, don't be silly! I think it was obvious you were a big help!" Saten said encouragingly, giving Uiharu a rough slap on the back.

"And not just her," Mikoto added, "Edasaki too. I think you made a real difference in both of their lives."

"I was only there to see the two of you crying in each other's arms, and even I can tell she was thankful for everything you've done," Touma added.

"I was the same when I visited Touma in the hospital after he helped me," Index added, "Of course, then he had to go a pretend that he had amnesia."

"Right… Sorry about that," Touma apologized in an attempt to maintain his lie.

"That's everyone," Uiharu said gratefully.

"Well, let's head home," Mikoto instructed.

"Hang on. I know about a short cut up ahead," Saten interrupted, directing the group through a park.

Even though everyone agreed to follow Saten's supposed shortcut, not everyone was completely confident in her claims. Especially since this latest shortcut seemed really far off from the beaten path. The only reassurance they had was that Index backed up Saten's claim since she had travelled the shortcut herself while hanging out with the skirt flipper, and her perfect memory told her it was definitely a shorter path.

As the group continued to cut through the park, the came across a rather unusual sight, even for their standards. In the middle of the park, resting in a flowerbed, was a little girl. She had blond hair and was dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress, carrying a lollipop in her mouth and a heart-shaped bag over her shoulder. She was honestly one of the cutest things any of them has ever seen.

After getting over the initial cuteness reaction, the group quickly got her out of the flowerbed and laid her down on one of the park benches, with Touma doing most of the heavy lifting. A little while after setting her down, the little girl woke up, revealing a brilliant pair of purple eyes. The group tried to ask the girl a few questions in an attempt to learn why she was sleeping in a flowerbed, but she remained quite the entire time they spoke to her. They only started having success when Saten, an experienced older sister, started talking one-on-one with her.

"Let's make a trade, my name is Ruiko," Saten introduced herself, getting on eye level with the mysterious girl, "Now it's your turn. Can you tell me your name?"

The girl took a moment to pull the lollipop out of her mouth.

"I'm Febri," the blond child replied.

"That's a very pretty name!" Saten cheered, "Alright, Febri, what else can you tell us? Anything goes. You can just pick something."

The group wasn't sure what they were expecting the girl known as Febri to say, but what she said next was certainly a surprise.

"Mikoto Misaka."

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"And we're back!" the master of the temple screamed as he burst through the temple's front door, "Hey everyone! Welcome back to Animan Temple, with me, Animan von Elysium X!"**

 **"It's a pleasure to see you all again," the head priestess greeted with a bow, "My name is Aisa Himegami. Please don't forget about me."**

 **"Pretty good start to this new arc, huh Himegami?" Animan asked, leaning on his sword.**

 **"I guess. Though I've never liked this arc to be honest," the head priestess replied.**

 **"Because you were not in it?"**

 **"Because the writing was terrible."**

 **"Because you were not in it."**

 **"...that too," Himegami admitted.**

 **"Well, no worries, my dear assistant!" Animan cried, raising his sword so the hilt was at his eyes, "My Mugen has shown me the future, and it tells me that this version of the arc will be much better than the original!"**

 **"Your Foresight has never been very accurate, master," the head priestess deadpanned, "I'm not going to hold you to that prediction."**

 **"Ouch. I feel like I just got sniped by an archer," the master of the temple whined, unaware of the arrow reading 'Unreliabel' that had been planted in his back.**

 **"It appears we are out of time," Himegami noted with a bow, "We will see you all in the next chapter, 'Say My Name'."**

 **"See you," Animan said threw his tears.**


	45. Say My Name

**I'm back with yet another chapter. Sorry this one took a bit of time, but I have a good reason for it... maybe.**

 **Truth is, I am currently working on a collaboration with one Ray O'Neill. This collaboration is an expansion and continuation of his previous story, "Swords of a brother", a Fariy Tail X Fate crossover where Shirou Emiya is reborn as Shirou Strauss. The two of use exchange ideas and I turn those ideas into an expanded story, altering the events of Fairy Tail with the simple inclusion of a man with the soul of Shirou Emiya. If you're a longtime reader of mine (and you probably are considering how many chapters in this story is), you should know that these types of stories are my bread and butter (aka, literally what this story is). Thus, in addition to writing this chapter, I was also busy writing the first chapter of our collaborative work, "Swords of a Brother Unlimited", the first chapter of which is now up. If you're interested, check out Ray O'Neill's original story, then come back and read the first chapter of my expansion. Of course, finish reading this chapter before you go.**

 **From now on, I will be alternating between working on this story and working on "Swords of a Brother Unlimited". After I release a chapter for one story, I'll work on the next chapter of the other story.**

 **Now, with that announcment out of the way, let's get these reviews taken care of.**

 _Healthcare: Glad you think so. I hope you like what comes for the rest of the arc._

 _SolanaLeonhart: You know Touma, always breaking down other people's illusions. In this case, Aritomi's illusions of superiority._

 _BlueJack22: Thanks. Kind of had to mention the space elevator during this arc considering it plays an important role later on._

 _felixiglesias8: Yeah, that was my favorite addition to the chapter._

 _RedSS: Big spoiler on that front, but I have some major plans in store that I think you're going to like._

 _Kim454: There's nothing like a battle of ideals. Always get chills from those._

 _OnePunchPlayer: No worries. Just a simple case of metaforgotten._

 _mohamadstar94: Personally my favorite change to the arc. Just got to love the early encounters._

 _5waydragon: Watched through the entirety of the Silent Party Arc before writing any of this. No such interaction between Febri and Mikoto exists. Plus, Febri was closest to Saten anyway, so it wouldn't make sense to do that. Truly, the franchises biggest mystery isn't Imagine Breaker, or even Aleister Crowley, it is the guy with blue hair and piercings._

 _Guest (1): Actually, the key point in this arc with Touma and Shizuri is that they are constantly separated because of the influx in jobs that ITEM has been getting. Though that was pretty obvious from the previous chapter alone._

 _Anycartoon123 (Guest): Touma will be playing some significance in this arc. He won't be taking center stage, but he will be sharing the spotlight with the girls. Unfortunately, Saten is in not position to be getting such a weapon. The only reason Touma has ODD in the first place is because he's a member of Judgement conducting field testing and reporting back the the Disciplinary Committee to further upgrade and improve it. Since Saten is just a civilian, she has no reason to be given such equipment._

 _pao pao (Guest): Thank you._

 _Percyfan1998: Yeah, the inconsistencies with the timeline were my biggest problem too. Particularly the shot of Accelerator with Last Order at the end, implying that the Three Stories Arc had come the pass, even though Mikoto had a story involved in that arc and Silent Party is supposed to start immediately after the Sisters Arc. That is one point I am determined to correct._

 _ahsoei: I'll try and improve on the dialogue. Actually, the point was that Touma and Shizuri were supposed to have very little interaction because of how busy she is. Besides, it's been 10 years and she's smart. The doting would have to have been toned down at least a little bit._

 _Guest (2): Comedy comes in threes, as any good comedian knows. Yeah, Silent Party is a case of good concept, bad execution. My main goal is to improve that._

 _Archangel Gabe (Guest): Glad you like the story so far. Honestly, I thought the Silent Party Arc was alright and stuff like calling in all of Judgement made some level of sense considering all the incriminating evidence against STUDY, but I will admit the upper atmosphere part could have been done better. Of course, that is my aim, to see how events play out with reinvented relationships and lore, and potentially improve on what was already created._

 _Xloki05: Wow, that's high praise. Thank you._

 _TheTimeWalker94: Comedy comes in threes! Oh, the little girl is closer to a can of worms. An adorable can of worms, but a can of worms none the less._

 _Generation Zero: I have big plans for this arc. As one of the more controversial arcs, this arc will me much more of a challenge to improve upon, but I'm willing to take that challenge._

 _Kami (Guest): Yeah, they sure can be showoff at times. Goes to explained STUDY's motives, though._

 _Chroma (Guest): Your wish will be granted._

 _MasterHamsters: Glad you liked the story so much. Yeah, the earlier arcs are a bit of an old shame, but I like to think I improved considerably over the last year. My biggest issue is getting the ball rolling, as I'm sure you noticed with how pitifully short the first two chapters were compared to the rest of them. Given how busy my life can get and my current update rate, Railgun III should be out by the time I get to Index II's Daihasei Arc._

 _RPGPersona: Thus starts the controversial Silent Party Arc. Hopefully, my usual writing style and revive this arc in a much more enjoyable form. From what you've thought of the last chapter, looks like I off to a good start._

 _HeroX: Thank you so much. Gald you liked the chapter._

 _Robby (Guest): ... I don't even know what language that is, and I don't trust Google Translate enough to try translating it._

 _Guest13 (Guest): Let's see, he finally reunited with his best friend but did so in the most horrible way possible and was seen at his lowest and most irredeemable state. Yeah, I'd keep my distance too if I was Yuri._

 _dan (Guest): Here you go._

 **Well, that took a while. You know the drill. Disclaimer, story, Animan Temple.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 45: Say My Name

When the group first found the little girl named Febri, they didn't know what to expect. The circumstances surrounding her were already strange enough, what with her just sleeping in a flowerbed in the middle of a random park in Academy City. Talking to her had been a struggle at first, but the guiding hand of the experienced older sister named Ruiko Saten was able to make progress. Getting the girl's name was easy enough after that, but the following words from her mouth left the group nothing but confusion.

"Mikoto Misaka."

That was all the girl said, leaving the group in utter confusion. While the girl who goes by that name was among the group, she had never seen or even heard of Febri in her entire life. While it was true that Mikoto was rather famous as a Level 5 Esper, the little girl in front of her seemed to only know the name and nothing more. In an effort to further their investigation, Mikoto tried to speak to the girl herself, only for Febri to run off and hide behind Saten's leg.

It was clear to the group that poor Febri didn't feel too comfortable with Mikoto, which made her knowing the Level 5's name all the more suspicious. It was an especially low blow for the Mikoto herself, who had always seen herself as good with kids. Not to be outdone by Saten in that department, she tried a different tactic for interacting with the mysterious girl.

Reaching into her pocket, the Railgun pulled out one of her most prized collectables, a Pink Gekota Finger Puppet she found as a prize in a soda can. Stuffing a spare bobby pin in the puppet, she held the little frog in her hand in front of the shy girl's face. With a little bit of electromagnetism thanks to her ability, Mikoto was able to have the puppet move on its own, instantly captivating the little girl.

"Yo! My name is Gekota!" Mikoto said in a croaky voice, "Your name is Febri, right? Maybe you can tell me something?"

Unfortunately for Mikoto, she never got to finish what she was saying through the little frog. Before she knew it, Febri snatched the figure puppet from the Level 5's hands, running off with it without a care in the world.

"Well, should have seen that coming," Touma sighed as he watched the little girl run.

"Ah! You only have a one-in-twenty-four chance of getting a Pink Gekota!" Mikoto cried.

"Honestly Sissy, are you really going to make a big deal over a stupid finger puppet?" Kuroko asked in exasperation.

Acting quickly, Kuroko teleported away and returned with Febri in hand. Once she did, Mikoto tried to lecture the little girl about stealing other people's stuff, only for the thief to hide behind Saten's leg once again.

"Aw, that's adorable!" Index cooed, eyeing the gothic Lolita.

"I think it's clear who she trusts the most," Kuroko noted.

"You know, that Gekota isn't yours," Saten gently reprimanded, "It belongs to Misaka. Why don't we give it back?"

"No! It's my Gekota!" Febri whined, clearly not willing to let the toy go.

"Come on, don't be like that," Touma said, following Saten's earlier example and getting down to eye level, "I can understand why you want that Gekota so much. I will admit that he's pretty cute, and a lot of other people thinks so too. But you can't just take things from other people like that. You wouldn't like it if someone just took something from you, right? So how about you give Mikoto that Gekota back, and we work on getting you your own Gekota?"

"No! This Gekota is mine!" Febri yelled defiantly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"…Huh? The guilt card usually works whenever I play it," Touma mused.

"Well, we tried," Saten sighed defeated.

After that hopeless attempt to retrieve the kidnapped frog from the little girl, the group contacted Konori at the 177th Judgement Branch Office to see if she could find anything on Febri based on what little information the managed to procure from her. Unfortunately, the search did not turn up very promising results. After checking both the listings for lost children and missing persons, she found no mention of Febri. At that point, the sun had gone down, and the streetlights had turned on, so it was too late to grab a hold of someone from Anti-Skill to help them. This left the group with no choice but to take care of Febri for the night until they could get in touch with Anti-Skill the next morning. Only question was who was going to take the girl in.

"How about I take her for the night? I mean, just look at her," Saten suggested, nodding to the girl sleeping on her back, "I have a little brother, so taking care of children is nothing new for me."

"We can have you do that, Flipper," Touma injected, "You're already taking care of Index. You don't need another headache on top of her."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Index cried, clearly offended.

"Really, I don't mind at all," Saten insisted, "I think having both of them around will be fun. You know what they say, the more the merrier. Though, if a certain someone whose just had a roommate move out is willing to lend a hand, I'd really appreciated. What do you think, Uiharu?"

"Of course I'll help!" Uiharu cheered without any hesitation.

" _Well, guess that settles it_ ," Konori said over Kuroko's phone on speaker, " _I'll see you guys tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get everything sorted out then._ "

With the plan for the night settled, the group continued along Saten's shortcut before splitting up. Uiharu, Saten, Index, and Febri headed for Uiharu's dorm, ready for what was sure to be a night of family-like antics. Mikoto and Kuroko headed for their dorm in hopes of escaping their dorm manager's wrath, with Mikoto's pockets now one Gekota Finger Puppet lighter. That left Touma on his own as he strolled towards the apartment that he and his sister now shared.

Unfortunately for Touma, his stroll home was interrupted by an email on his phone that Shizuri had sent him. Once again, she had been called out on a last-minute job and wasn't going to be home for dinner. In fact, she might not even be home that night at all. He let out a heavy sigh after reading the message, clearly annoyed by the reoccurring jobs Shizuri has been getting. Begrudgingly putting away his phone, Touma continued his trek home in silence.

When he finally got home, Touma found the apartment completely dark, a clear indication that Shizuri really was out on a job. He didn't even bother announcing his arrival as there was no one there to greet him in return. Turning on the lights, Touma got to work on a simple dinner for two, hamburg steaks with rice and mixed vegetables. He plated both meals before covering one of them and storing it away in the fridge. Touma then took the second plate to the dinner table and at in silence.

As he ate alone, Touma couldn't help but notice how empty the apartment felt. While he was grateful for the amount of space Shizuri was able to procure for them, the fact that she spent so much time not at home with him really made the space feel like a burden. While he did live alone for ever since he started middle school, he always lived in a school dorm room intended for a single person. Having the space intended for two people all to himself really extenuated just how lonely living alone could be.

'Guess this is how Headband felt when Haruee first moved out," Touma thought to himself as continued to eat, 'I wonder how the girls are handling Febri right now.'

Once he finished his meal, Touma quickly washed the dishes and took a shower before heading to bed. As he tucked himself under the sheets of his bed, he caught a glimpse of the small, metal charm that sat on his desk. After moving in with Shizuri, Touma had kept the house shaped milagro his father gave him in plain view in his room to potentially bless their new home. If the thing had any power at all to begin with, Touma was starting to think his Imagine Breaker was negating any ambient blessings it was granting. With such a big apartment this so few regular occupants, it wasn't feeling like much of a home.

* * *

In another part of District 7, Uiharu, Saten, Index, and Febri had safely arrived at Uiharu's dorm room. When they arrived, it became apparent that the little girl they took in was hungry, and the lollipops she was constantly sucking on where not going to satisfy her hunger. Thus, Uiharu and Saten started preparing dinner while Index kept Febri occupied by playing with her.

As the two middle school students cooked their meal for the night, the couldn't help but fawn over the sight of Index and Febri playing in the main room. Thanks to her perfect memory and her fascination with a certain magical girl anime, Index knew storyline of Magical Powered Kanamin to a T. Thus, the two girls were currently roleplaying various episodes from the show, with Index as the antagonist, Febri as Kanamin, and Gekota and Sphinx as a magical familiars. They even went as far as to use Febri's lollipop as Kanamin's Lotus Staff.

After a bit of waiting, the four girls gathered around the short table for dinner. The meal consisted of hamburg steaks, white rice with green beans, a green salad, and noodles. Febri's meal had the additional touch of a Gekota flag sticking out of the rice. The whole meal looked particularly delicious and healthy, perfect for a growing, little girl. Sphinx sat next to Index on the floor with a dish of homemade cat food.

"Thank you for the food!" the girls cheered as they started digging in.

As per usual, Index wasted no time digging into her food. Immediately after saying thanks, she stuffed a hamburg steak in her mouth and made it disappear. Saten and Uiharu did the same, but were much more reserved in they're eating, taking it one bite at a time. However, the gave pause when they noticed Febri was a bit suspicious of the food in front of her.

"What's wrong? Doesn't it look good?" Saten asked in concern.

Seeing that Febri was still unsure of the food on her plate, Saten took matters into her own hands. Taking her own fork, Saten picked up one of the mini hamburg steaks and held it to Febri's mouth. She then got Febri to say "Ah", at which point she stuffed the steak in the little girl's mouth. Having had her first bite of the food, Febri instantly brightened up, mesmerized by the taste. Soon enough, she was eating away at her dinner at the same rate as Index, something that Saten and Uiharu found very pleasing.

After cleaning up dinner, the four girls and the cat took a quick bath together to get ready for bed. The bath was particularly hectic, especially with the inclusion of the little girl and kitten. Sphinx was constantly fighting with the girls to avoid getting wet, and Febri had more than a few slip ups when handling the showerhead and washtubs. Once they were all cleaned up, Febri was dressed in a set of children's pajamas the group bought on their way home and put to bed with a bedtime story. It was just like a night with any normal family.

As they watched the little girl sleep, Saten couldn't help but notice that Febri still had a lollipop in her hand. Curiously, the Level 0 pulled the half-eaten candy out of the little girl's hand and sampled a small lick for herself. To say she found the flavor of the lollipop surprising would be an understatement.

* * *

The next day, the group had gathered at the 177th Judgement Branch Office to continue their search for Febri's origins. While Uiharu was sifting through the databases and Index was occupying Febri, Saten was presenting everyone who had not watched Febri last night with the half-eaten lollipop she sampled and encouraged them to taste it for themselves. Their reactions to the candy were all exactly the same as Saten's, completely disgusted.

"My goodness, that's an intense flavor," Konori noted after sampling the lollipop.

"I know! Crazy right?" Saten exclaimed.

"The color makes you think it'd be something like Sour Apple, but I wouldn't be caught dead calling the flavor delectable," Touma moaned, desperately trying to forget the taste in his mouth.

"Hard to believe Febri just keeps sucking away at them like they're nothing," Mikoto added, slumped in her chair.

"Honestly Saten, you're terrible," Uiharu grumbled from her computer, "She did the same thing to me last night. 'Hey, this is really tasty. You should try it'. Even Index didn't want to eat one of those lollipops after tasting that first one."

"Oh, let it go. I said I was sorry," Saten begged in a jubilant tone, clearly indicating she still found the trick amusing.

While the two friends were arguing over the morality of Saten's method of sharing information, Konori approached the two playing to check on them.

"You two having fun together?" the Judgement chief asked.

"You bet!" Index replied.

"Yeah! Index is really fun to play with!" Febri added.

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun, Febri!" Mikoto jumped in, desperately trying to gain the little girl's attention.

Said little girl remained silent, instead choosing to leave the table and run behind Saten's leg.

"Tough luck, Zapper," Touma called out from his seat.

"I really don't need to hear that from you of all people, idiot," Mikoto grumbled.

A little over an hour passed and the group was still having no luck in finding missing person or lost child reports of Febri. With no such reports existing, that meant one of two things. She either didn't officially exist at all in any of the databases, or she was a Child Error, abandoned in the middle of Academy City. As the group worried for Febri's quality of life, they were greeted with a surprise visit from a fellow Child Error.

"Hi everyone," Haruee greeted as she entered the office.

"Oh, hi Haruee," Uiharu replied, "What are you doing here?"

"We settled from the move, so I thought I'd come visit everyone here," Haruee explained before noticing the sleeping Febri on the couch, "Who's this adorable little girl.

"This is Febri. We found her sleeping in a flowerbed the other day," Touma explained, "We ran some database searches to see if there are any missing person cases on her, but we haven't had any luck. We're pretty sure she's a Child Error based on that."

"Really?" Haruee asked in concern, "That's too bad."

"It looks like we'll have to wait until someone from an institution can come and take her in," Konori deduced, placing a hand on her hip.

"I hope she gets into a good one," the fellow Child Error said meekly.

"There are good homes and bad homes?" Mikoto inquired in intrigue.

"From what I've heard, things can get pretty horrible depending on the facility that you're in," Haruee admitted.

"Maybe… we can choose where she goes," Saten suggested, "Uiharu, do you know if there's any websites that rate and review these kinds of institutions."

"No, sorry," Uiharu apologized, "They don't really do that."

"Hey, I have an idea," Mikoto beamed, eyeing Touma, "We already know a Child Error facility that's all about quality."

"What do you mean?" Touma asked, put off by why the Level 5 was looking at him in specific.

"Come on, you know the place," Mikoto nudged, "You of all people should know just how great that place is."

"Oh! Now I get it," Touma exclaimed, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number.

After a few seconds of dial tone, Touma's phone call was answered and he was greeted with a very familiar and very warm voice.

" _Hello? This is Asunaro Park. How may I help you?_ " the voice said over the phone.

"Hi Miss Shigenomori. It's been a while," Touma greeted, "It's me, Touma. Touma Kamijou."

" _Oh, Touma! It's good to hear from you again_ ," the caretaker replied, " _What can I help you with?_ "

"Well, my friends and I found this little girl and we're pretty sure she's a Child Error," Touma explained over the phone, "We were wondering if you'd be able to take her in."

" _Of course! We'd love to have her_ ," Shigenomori replied.

"Awesome!" Touma cheered, "We're in luck, ladies! Febri is getting a new home at Asunaro Park!"

"Asunaro Park?" Haruee asked.

"It's a facility in District 13," Uiharu explained, "We've been there before. We know firsthand that it's a warm, welcoming place."

"Kamijou actually lived there for a bit during elementary school," Kuroko added, "They take care of both Child Errors and regular students that are too young to take care of themselves while they are studying away from home."

"Actually, now that I think about it, that's probably why the place was so nice in the first place," Saten mused, "I mean, if half of its population consists of regular students, they have to be pretty nice so they don't anger the parents, so the Child Errors benefit from sharing the facility."

" _I'm happy to help. Of course, It will be some time before we'll be ready to take the girl in_ ," Shigenomir elaborated over the phone, " _We'll get to preparations right way, but it will take about five days._ "

"Five days, huh?" Touma murmured.

"That shouldn't a problem," Saten cut in, "I'd be more than happy to take care of Febri until then."

"I'll help take care of her too," Uiharu added.

"Me too! Playing with Febri is so fun!" Index joined in.

"Same with me," Mikoto followed.

"I guess I will assist in child care as well," Kuroko sighed somewhat reluctantly.

"Guess that settles it," Touma mused, "We'll all take care of Febri until you're able to take her in."

" _Glad to hear it_ ," the director of Asunaro Park chimed, " _Alright, we'll be ready to take her in in five days._ "

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I managed to find Shizuri," Touma added quickly, "We actually moved in together not too long ago. She's apparently been a Level 5 under an alias the entire time."

" _That's wonderful_ ," Shigenomori beamed, " _I'd love it if you two could visit some time. I'm sure the children would love to meet her._ "

"We'll be sure to do that once she stops being so busy," Touma promised, "Alright then, see you in five days, Miss Shigenomori."

As Touma hung up the phone, Febri started to stir from her nap. Sitting up on the couch, the little girl was greeted by the sight of her favorite among her new friends, Saten.

"So, little one, do you mind staying with us for just a little bit longer?" Saten asked.

"With you, Ruiko?" Febri asked in turn.

"Yeah, and everyone else too!" the Level 0 jubilantly replied.

"You mean with Uiha?"

"Yup," Uiharu replied.

"And Kuroko?"

"That's right," Kuroko answered.

"And Index?"

"Of course!" the nun responded.

"And Touma?'

"You know it!"

"And Mii?" Febri asked, purposefully skipping Mikoto, much to the Level 5's disappointment.

"Of course, I'll be here as well!" the branch chief chimed.

"Five days, huh?" Uiharu mused, "That means Febri will be with us until the day of the Reach Assembly."

"Speaking of which, it's about time for the on-site security meeting, isn't it?" Kuroko inquired.

"I swear, if you two leave me behind by teleporting away again, I'm gonna lose it," Touma grumbled, much to the amusement of the Judgement Branch Chief.

With their next destination decided, the group left the office to head to the scheduled meeting. Haruee left to take care of a few other errands, promising to visit again some time. As the child error said goodbye, Mikoto could only grimace in frustration as Febri warmly saw Haruee off while saying her name.

On the train ride to the university holding the security meeting, Febri stared out the window, watching all the buildings go by. Index kneeled next to the little girl, using her photographic memory to point out structures of interest, specifically the businesses that sold food. All the while, Mikoto watched the little girl that refused to say her name with a determined look, something that did not go unnoticed to Touma.

"You doing okay, Zapper?" the Level 0 asked quietly in concern, "You're looking kind of frustrated there."

"It's nothing," Mikoto replied, looking away, "I'm just a little bothered by how Febri knows my name, but doesn't seem to what to have anything to do with me."

"Is that so? I almost thought if had to do with the fact that she stole that figure puppet from you yesterday," Touma admitted, "Though I guess her knowing your name is a bit strange, especially considering you've never met before. Then again, you're pretty well known, so I'm sure she heard your name somewhere."

"Yeah, I guess," Mikoto shrugged, still not looking Touma in the eye.

"If you're still upset about her not liking you, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. People always do," Touma encouraged, "I mean, look at me. Before we started hanging out, I would have preferred to keep my distance from you as much as possible, and now I'm contemplating whether or not I would want you as a girlfriend."

"Does this mean you finally have an answer for me?" Mikoto teased with a smirk.

"Still working on that," Touma chuckled, "But I do think I have an answer for your Febri problem. Just wait until we get to the security meeting."

"I'll hold you too it," Mikoto sighed.

When the group finally arrived at their destination, those of the group unfamiliar with the Academic Reach Assembly were more than a little disappointed. By Saten's own confession, she was expecting something more akin to a festival, something that could keep Febri interested. When she explained this, Touma couldn't help but snark at the fact that he expletively said the assembly was less like a festival and more like a science fair just the other day.

As the group made their way through the university grounds, they had the surprising pleasure of running into Kongou, Wannai, and Awatsuki. Apparently, someone from the Tokiwodai Swim Club had a presentation at and the group was there to help her set it up. While together, Febri was introduced to the Tokiwodai trio and instantly warmed up to them, much to Mikoto's growing frustration.

"Easy, Zapper," Touma warned, gripping Mikoto's shoulder with his right hand, "Don't worry, I'll put my plan into action soon enough."

"Oh, by the way, Kamijou, I wanted to say thanks to you again," Kongou cut in, "For the other day, I mean."

"It's no big deal, really," Touma insisted, waving off the topic.

"Oh? What did Kamijou here do for you, if you don't mind me asking?" Saten asked, intrigued.

"Well, we where in town the other day when Kongou managed to stop a purse snatcher, but some guy was talking down at her for her methods," Wannai explained with a blush, "But then Kamijou can in and stood up for Kongou's defense."

"He totally torn into the man's criticisms and made him look like fool," Awatsuki added with her own blush, "It was really cool."

"Wow, you're quite the lady-killer, Kamijou," Saten teased with a nudge, "Maybe Kami Disease is a real thing."

"Come on! Don't tell me you've been taking Tsuchimikado and Aogami seriously!" Touma yelled in frustration, "Besides, how can that thing be real if people like you and Headband haven't been affected?!"

"Who says we haven't?" Saten turned away, "Uiharu has been sharing stories of your heroics with friends like you were some gallant knight, and you played a big part in saving my life during the Level Upper incident."

"I hate you so much right now," Touma grumbled.

Soon enough, it became time for the group to part ways. Kongou and her friends went off one way to continue their work, and everyone in Judgement went off in another. Thus, Touma had his opportunity to enact his plan to bring Mikoto and Febri closer together. As the group was splitting up, he told Index about a research project developing a special food pellet that could mimic the flavor of almost any food and provide essential nutrition. It was a supposed effort to create an easier to carry and preserve rations for emergency situations. This instantly got Index interested prompting Touma to insist on leading her to the alleged venue. He then gave Saten a subtle wink, silently sending her the details of his plan. The rumor hunter instantly caught on, asking Uiharu to show her the way to the bathroom, insisting that Febri stay with Mikoto.

With the group now divided, the members of Judgement went off to have their security meeting. As they walked away, Touma was fairly certain that nothing could possibly go wrong. Unfortunately, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Touma started feeling like he jinxed the whole operation.

* * *

With her and Febri finally alone together, Mikoto did whatever she could to get Febri to like her. At the same time, she desperately tried to retrieve her stolen finger puppet. No matter what she said, Mikoto could barely get the little girl to say more than a word to her. When Febri did speak, it was only to ask about the rest of the group that had left. Getting desperate, Mikoto resolved to unleash her ultimate weapon for getting children's attention, the super rare, one in every sixty cans, Rainbow Gekota Finger Puppet.

However, while she was busy devising a plan to get Febri's attention, Mikoto failed to notice that someone else had beat her to the punch with playing the Gekota card. While she wasn't looking, a man in a Gekota costume promoting a Frog Warp experiment walked by, instantly captivating Febri. The little girl, drawing in by child friendly costume, gave chase, steadily keeping in pace with the frog as he continued to walk down the path. When Mikoto finally turned around, all she saw was an abandoned Pink Gekota Finger Puppet.

Meanwhile, Febri continued to follow the costumed man until he was reached a shady spot next to one of the university's buildings. She watched with childlike wonder as the frog sat down on a nearby bench. However, that wonder quickly turned into shock and fear when the frog pulled his own head off, revealing a very exhausted and sweaty Pierce Aogami.

"Man, third day on the job and I am already super exhausted," the blue-haired boy panted.

After catching his breath, the high school boy noticed the little girl standing nearby. Like everyone else before him, he was instantly captivated by how adorable Febri was. Unfortunately, her reaction to him was nowhere near as positive as his reaction to her, as she immediately ran away from him. What had to be the lowest blow for Aogami had to the fact that he had barely said anything, and the little girl was already running away from him.

* * *

After just getting out of the security meeting for a break, Touma and the rest of Judgement Branch 177 were shocked to hear from Mikoto that Febri had gone missing. Worried for the little girl, the group split up to cover more ground and increase their chances of finding her. In his frantic search to find Febri, Touma ended up running into Aogami while he was still on his break.

"Whoa, hey Kami," Aogami greeted, "You doing okay? You look out of breath."

"No time for that. Listen, have you seen a little girl in a black, gothic Lolita dress recently?" Touma panted.

"Yeah, she ran away from me a few minutes ago, that way," Aogami pointed, "Worse part is, I didn't even do anything the scare her off! Can you believe it?"

"Considering I found you without your Gekota head on, very much so," Touma deadpanned before running off, "Thanks, Aogami, I owe you a dirty magazine."

Continuing to run, Touma eventually found himself on an overhang looking into a pit in the middle of the university grounds. From where he stood, he could see Febri in the middle of the pit, with Kongou not to far away and Mikoto on another overhang to his right.

'Thank goodness we found her,' Touma thought to himself in relief, 'Looks like Airhead and Zapper beat me to her.'

Unfortunately, that relief didn't last long as averting one crisis lead to another. In the pit with Febri were three Security Robots, all inactive. However, the robots suddenly stood up and started racing towards the defenseless and scared Febri. Sadly, Touma was in no position to be of any direct help, so he did the next best thing.

"Mikoto! Rouge robots on your two!" Touma yelled.

Responding immediately, Mikoto jumped into action, using reverse electromagnetism to propel herself off the overhang's guardrails. With a determined yell, she grabbed the three runaway robots with some more electromagnetism before flinging them away from Febri, leaving them limp on the ground. Once she landed, Mikoto turned around the recently found child, dropping to her knees in relief.

"Good, you're okay," Mikoto sighed.

"Nice job there, Zapper," Touma complimented as he climbed down the stairs into the pit.

Now safe, Febri began to well up tears in her eyes before erupting into a full-blown bawl. Seeking comfort among those she considered her friends, she immediately started running in Mikoto's direction. Believing herself to have finally earned the little girl's favor, the Railgun opened her arms for a hug, only to have Febri run right past her and into the arms of Saten, who had arrived on the scene with everyone else after the robots had been taken care of.

"Tough luck, Zapper," Touma said, patting his friend's shoulder.

"Oh well," Mikoto shrugged, standing up, "I'm just glad she's safe."

After everyone calmed down, Mikoto apologized to everyone for not keeping a closer eye on Febri. However, Touma and Saten insisted that they were the ones at fault for causing so much trouble, as it was their plan to leave Febri alone with Mikoto and making her worry. From there, they requested that Febri apologized as well, as it was her running off that caused Mikoto so much grief to being with.

While Mikoto reassured the little girl that no apologies were needed, she was surprised to have received one in the form of a hug from Febri. However, the surprises didn't stop there, as Febri once again stole the Pink Gekota Finger Puppet from Mikoto's pocket, running off with it.

"Thank you, Mikoto! Bye-bye now!" Febri called out as she ran.

While Mikoto was inicially shocked at the brazen theft, her frown quickly turned into a grin when she realize just how much friendlier Febri was acting towards her.

"Hey you, get back here!" Mikoto yelled jokingly.

"No!" Febri laughed as she continued to run.

"I'm gonna get you!" Mikoto warned as she gave chase.

"Well, that worked out nicely," Touma mused with a smile.

"I knew they'd be friends eventually. They just needed a while," Uiharu chimed in.

"I'm glad to see them enjoying themselves," Kuroko added.

"Seeing them together like that certainly does make worth all the trouble I had to go through," Kongou admitted.

"Honestly Kongou, you're going to take all the credit?" Kuroko asked skeptically, "That isn't very graceful of you. Downright petty, in fact."

"But I really was helpful this time, I swear," Kongou insisted, "You just didn't see it is all."

"Nice to see you two getting along just the same," Touma chuckled as he watched.

* * *

In some unknown location in Academy City, there was a meeting among five people in lab coats, six if you include the man speaking to them over a audio feed. They were all intellectuals worthy of praise for their academic accomplishments. However, their current dealings were not as praiseworthy as they involved in involuntary testing of human subjects.

" _As you know, there are only seven Level 5s here in Academy City_ ," the man on the video feed reported, " _And now, in addition to the fourth ranked, we'll be able to experiment on the third ranked as well. Truly, a stroke of good luck._ "

"In that case, I move we put it to a vote," one of the men in the room said, standing up from his seat, "Let's see a show of hands. All in favor of conducting the experiment on Railgun?"

Four hands were raised.

" _And of course, I am in favor as well_ ," the man speaking remotely added, " _I would also like to report another potential test subject. A certain strange addition, if you will._ "

"What is it that you have found?" a woman among the group asked.

" _It would appear that the Railgun is regularly accompanied by one Touma Kamijou. The boy rumored to possess the ability to negate other abilities_ ," the absent man explained, " _I propose we see just how true the rumors and how he's ability matches to our research._ "

"All in favor of conducting the experiment on Touma Kamijou?" another man inquired.

Once again, four hands were raised.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to Animan Temple, everyone!" the master of the temple cheered, "I'm your host, Animan von Elysium X!"**

 **"Priestess Number 1 is here as well," Himegami said with a bow, "Always a pleasure."**

 **"Not much of a change this time around, huh," Animan mused, leaning on his sword.**

 **"There wasn't much to work with to begin with," Himegami agreed, "Such is the Silent Party Arc."**

 **"You're still complaining about that? It's been years since the arc was first released," Animan sighed.**

 **"Bad writing is still bad writing," Himegami reaffirmed, "No one does it better than the original creator. The anime staff should have just moved on to the next arc instead of creating their own."**

 **"Man, I was hoping to cover more stuff than just your complaints, but now we're out of time," Animan lamented, "We'll see you all next time in the next chapter, 'Early Trials'."**


	46. Early Trials

**And I'm back! And it only took a week short of a month! Man, who would have thought that working on two stories at once that update interchangeably would take so long when you live a life outside of your internet accounts.**

 ***Literally everyone in the known universe raises their hands***

 **Alright, put your hands down, ya smart alecks.**

 **Sorry for the wait everyone. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long. This chapter actually has a fair bit of original content, so hopefully I was able to make something interesting for the controversial Silent Party Arc. With any luck, this will act as the first stepping stone towards making this version of the arc passable in the view of the general audience.**

 **Woohoo to passing the 1000 review mark! Thanks to you guys, this story is now the third most review non-crossover Toaru story on this site, beating out stories that have been in progress for much longer. Seriously, I can not thank you guys enough. It's your support that keeps me writing. I never would have thought that such a simple story concept could have gained so much traction. I'm not even the first one to do it, and it's somehow got this much support!**

 **Now, how about we respond to the latest of those over 1000 reviews?**

 _dhart868: We're a bit far from the point where referencing that would be appropriate, but maybe it will be._

 _MrQuestionMark: Thank you so much for your continued support! I honestly never thought this story would get this big, nor did I expect it to outpace the growth of some of the older stories on this site. Seriously, who would have thought a concept as simple as "Touma joins Judgement and all the plotlines intersect" could have gained so much traction in such little time? Next thing you know, someone makes a TV Tropes page for this! If it can happen for a Toaru/MLP crossover, why not for a well-written conventional story? No details goes wasted when I write overarching stories like this. I like rewarding longtime readers who pay attention to every detail and occasionally reread past chapters. Honestly, I don't think Touma was necessarily in the wrong when he promised to give Aogami a free dirty magazine. I mean, Judgement has a known repeated sex-offender in Kuroko in their ranks._

 _5waydragon: I am well aware that that is not his real name, but it may as well be considering that's all anybody calls him. Aogami is a massive otaku and shameless pervert. Pretty sure he's played his fair share of games._

 _mohamadstar94: Thanks. Just felt like I could have trimmed the fat off the chapter. The joke was good, but a joke only works once when used a specific way._

 _Exiled Soul Nomad: Touma's future has always been dark. He's acknowledged this since the very beginning._

 _Healthcare: Thanks for the kind words. Nice to know that my style of writing is an enjoyable one._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Well, since you're new to this arc, I'll just leave the reveals to come naturally. I can tell you right now that your guess is wrong, though._

 _felixiglesias8: And you have every right to be worried. Of course, the TouMAN can push through anything with the right tools at his disposal._

 _BlueJack22: Glad to know I'm living up to expectations. Yeah, those researchers are in for a rude awakening. What exactly was your problem with chapter 43? That was nothing but fluff and family feels, so what could I have possibly done in the last chapter that addressed something in that chapter?_

 _ahsoei: That is actually a really good idea. I actually have a couple of ideas for something like that after this arc._

 _RedSS: Ah yes, why do an arc if it's originally so poorly written and generally disliked. Two reasons, my friend. The first is that I personally liked this arc. It was a good concept that unfortunately suffered from poor direction. The second reason is that I like a good challenge. There is a lot that I can do here to make the arc better, and it provides me with plenty of opportunities to set up for latter chapters and story arcs._

 _The unlucky boy: Thank you so much._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, unfortunately there was not a lot to work with in terms of variation with scenarios. The most I could really do was juxtapose the atmosphere in the Kamijou home to that of Saten's dorm since Touma was living in a large apartment with no one around while everyone else was in a crowded by cozy dorm room. All that just to drive home the fact that STUDY was cutting into what should have been family time for the Kamijous. I think you'll be surprised by Aliester's response to all this. After all, he is the chess master of the entire series._

 _Stitches (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter. It's actually implied that Touma knew the Child Error facility that Accelerator grew up in. After all, the two were incredibly close and hung out all the time. After he was taken away, Accelerator spent most of his life in research facilities, not even proper homes. Well, Accelerator does know his own name. Touma was only calling him by it the entire time they were having their fight. I would imagine a guy not used to getting touched would be pretty ticklish._

 _Generation Zero: Glad you liked the character interactions. Big changes aren't going to be too noticeable just yet. The changes are coming, but they're coming slowly and compounding. Wait and hope, and you will be rewarded._

 _guest (Guest): Yeah... That hatchet might be pretty difficult to bury when one girl is the older sister of the boy that the other girl has a crush on and the first girl has previously tried to kill the second girl._

 _Guest13 (Guest): Here's the thing. People who don't believe they deserve forgiveness tend to not ask for it. That's kind of been Accelerator's shtick since the end of the Sister Arc. You can't help someone unless they let you help them. It just so happens that in Touma's case, most of the time, the signal that he has the okay to help other people is that no one tries to stop him from helping them._

 _TheTimeWalker94: Yup, just a whole lot of rotten luck to go around._

 _Robby (Guest): Dude... listen... I want to give you a proper reply, I really do. But Google Translate is not doing it for me to help me understand you. The translation is imperfect and the grammar keeps coming out weird. The most I was able to figure out was that you're Indonesian._

 _RPGPersona: I will admit, Febri was a bit of a flat character. Cuteness can only get you so far. Komoe honestly did it best, using her cuteness as a weapon to guilt-trip her students into doing better. Maintaining continuity is a must whenever I write. Wither its an AU/re-imagining like this, or a standalone fanfic, I always make sure no details conflict with one another. Really though, it was Aogami's fault the plan went awry. If only he had taken a different route when going on his break, Febri wouldn't have followed him. Then again, he's also part of the reason it succeeded. I think you'll like what's in store for Touma as a new test subject._

 _A certain guest (Guest): I see I am in the presence of an intellectual. That is quite a bit on insight you have on the characters that even I didn't have, and I'm the guy drawing new connections between characters as to explain everything psychological through Freudian thought. Practically all the major characters suffers form having given up everything to fulfill a single wish, on to have that wish denied in the cruelest way possible. Touma wants a normal life, but he is bound by a power passed down through a bloodline he isn't even aware to have anything but a normal life. Shizrui wanted to help be a good sister and help give Touma the normal life he desired, but ended up losing herself in the process. Yuri wanted nothing more than to escape his title and be accepted as another person without hurting anyone, but he ends up embracing that title and kills thousands. Saten sacrificed a normal life for a chance at something interesting, but drew junk and now lives in the shadows of those with interesting lives. Trust me when I say that things only go downhill for these characters in particular in regards to their personal paradoxes._

 _Anycartoon123 (Guest): If you look back at previous chapters, a hoverboard was a thing that Touma improvised and my OC Doctor Bakuya was last scene trying to turn it into a mainstay gadget. If, when, and how it becomes a mainstay is for me to know and for you to lose your mind over while waiting for the payoff. I already have plans for Touma and Mikoto's first official date in a later chapter, so don't you worry._

 _Herox100: Glad my improvement as an author is visible. That's actually a major flaw with the Silent Party Arc, the timeline screw ups. In canon, Accelerator meets Last Order during the Three Stories Arc, which is also when we are introduced to the Fake Unibara and Touma and Mikoto go on a fake date. Can you see where this becomes problematic? Mikoto couldn't possibly worry about shaking off an admirer she doesn't want to reply to if she's worrying about Febri._

 _Xeno01: Pretty much. Saten has too much fun teasing Touma and Mikoto to fall victim to Kami Disease, and Uiharu is content watching Touma and Mikoto's relationship develop in a way that looks like something straight out of a fanfiction or light novel (because it is)._

 _X-KT (Guest): I can agree to Febri being adorable, that's for sure. That's not a ship I'm used to seeing, but I will admit I can see the appeal._

 _LegallyRestricted: Well, Touma and ITEM won't be working together in a official capacity any time soon. Shizuri will make sure of that. That's not to say they're path's won't cross and Shizuri won't help out where she can. The passing resemblance is actually part of the reason why I went through with the additional plotline. The story potential was good enough as it was, but the addition of the connection being believable made it an easy choice._

 _Xperior: Lucky you. You didn't have to wait too long._

 **Once again, thank you all for all the support you've given me over the last year and few months. Your support is very much appreciated. Alright then. You've all been here for long enough to know what's next.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 46: Early Trials

Following the events of the malfunctioning Security Robots, on site Anti-Skill officers were called in to investigate the cause of the incident. The members of Judgement Branch 177, who were present during the incident, were also called in to investigate the matter. They were currently speaking with chief Yomikawa, giving their eyewitness reports. Meanwhile, an Anti-Skill tech specialist was investigating the now offline robots to see if there were any mechanical issues.

"Security Robots malfunctioning like this is a massive black eye for Anti-Skill," the veteran law enforcer moaned.

"Luckily for us, it didn't get too serious," Konori mused.

"No kidding," Touma agreed, "Someone could have been seriously hurt by these things."

"Whoa, that's definitely weird," the tech specialist said as he examined one of the robots.

"Did you find the cause of the problem?" Kuroko asked curiously.

"It's kind of hard to tell," the specialist admitted, "These robots just came on site, but they haven't had their main batteries installed yet."

"That doesn't make any sense, are you sure?" Yomikawa asked, not entirely convinced.

"Yeah," the other officer replied, presenting the empty battery chamber for all to see, "Forget malfunctioning. These things shouldn't be functioning at all."

"Same thing with this one," Touma added, inspecting another robot with his ODD as a flashlight, "Not a battery in sight."

"Maybe there was power left in the auxiliary batteries?" Uiharu suggested.

Taking her subordinate's suggestion, Konori used her Clairvoyance to check the deeper interiors of all the robots. Unfortunately, her in-depth search bore no fruit.

"Nope, not the auxiliary batteries either," Konori reported, "In fact, it's the same case as with the main batteries. They haven't been installed yet."

"There's no way that's right," Kuroko denied in disbelief, "How can these things move if they had no power source?"

"That's the big mystery, isn't it," Touma sighed, looking even deeper into the empty Security Robot.

* * *

In a dark conference room somewhere in Academy City, five researchers were hard at work, preparing for their next experiment. They all typed away at their computers, busy as bees, so they could have everything set up before the end of the day.

"How lucky that we already have a chance to test the data we collected on the Fourth Ranked the other day," one of the researchers mused.

"I would have liked to have had a bit more time to prepare, but I suppose I can't complain," one of the women among the group noted.

"This should be interesting," another man remarked, "I wonder what kind of data will get this time around.

"Well, I think it will at least be mildly entertaining," another man predicted, pulling up two photos for the group to see, "After all, we have two very interesting test subjects lined up. The Railgun, Mikoto Misaka, and Judgement's Certain Strange Addition, Touma Kamijou."

"Indeed. The girl that everyone knows, and the boy shrouded in rumors," the woman from earlier spoke again, "The greatest of all Electromasters and the boy rumored to be capable of defeating her with nothing but his right hand."

"Of course, we know the truth about the one known as Touma Kamijou," the first man added, "We were fortunate to be able to retrieve such top-secret information from the Data Bank. To think such a unique specimen has been hidden from this city."

"You would think they would have better security for something so secretive. It's amazing we learned so much undetected," the second man mused, "Touma Kamijou, the Imagine Breaker. Let us see if your right hand can match our creation."

Unknown to the group, they did not manage to steal such intel without tripping any alarms. In actuality, they were being observed at that very moment, their conversation audible to Academy City's General Superintendent, Aleister Crowley. In truth, the head of Academy City simply saw no reason to intervein. After all, the group known as STUDY only managed to steal the most basic information on Imagine Breaker.

Besides, Aleister knew this group of overzealous researchers would be of no consequence in the long run. After all, they made the mistake of involving both children of the Kamijou line in their plans without proper preparation. Their fates were already sealed.

* * *

After a long day investigation, the members of Judgement Branch 177 found themselves rather exhausted. Unfortunately, their searched yielded no results whatsoever, leaving both Judgement and Anti-Skill stumped as to what caused the most recent incident.

"I really don't like this," Touma pondered, "Something caused those robots to malfunction, but what?"

"Come to think of it, we don't know what caused the traffic signal problem the other day either," Kuroko pointed out.

"A brash of mysterious mechanical trouble," Uiharu mused, "Sounds like a story Saten would love to hear."

"Tell me about it," Kuroko replied, mildly exasperated.

"Hey, do you three have some time?" Konori suddenly asked.

"What for?" Touma inquired in response.

* * *

The next thing the group knew, they had all gathered in front of a local bathhouse. As per Konori's suggestion, the group of friends came to the bathhouse to relax after all the excitement they dealt with that day. Apparently, it was also Febri's first time going into a bathhouse, so it was a perfect opportunity to make memories before she moved into Asunaro Park. Sadly, Kuroko was a bit too passionate about the chance to go into a bathhouse with everyone, earning her a punch on the head from Mikoto, prompting the rest of the group to leave her behind outside.

Upon entering the bathhouse, the group was greeted by two familiar faces. For Touma in particular, they were both a blessing and a curse, given his current situation.

"Hey Kami," Tsuchimikado greeted with a grin, "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Tsuchimikado? Aogami?" Touma asked in surprise, "What are you two doing here?"

"Have ever worn one of those mascot costumes? You build up a sweet real fast when you're in one of those things," the blue haired boy replied.

"And I tagged along since you don't just go to a bathhouse on your own," Tsuchimikado added, "It's a social experience! You can't just go by yourself! You always have to bring a plus one!"

"Mascot costume?" Mikoto inquired, not quite following the conversation.

"Aogami was actually working at the Academic Reach venue we visited today," Touma explained, "He was dressed in a Gekota costume to help promote some experiment involving frogs."

As Touma explained the circumstances behind Aogami's employment, Saten felt Febri hug her leg a bit tighter than usual.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Saten asked, "You don't have to be afraid. Tsuchimikado and Aogami might look scary, but they're actually really nice people."

"I don't think that's the issue here," Touma said with a stiff laugh, "Febri actually already met Aogami. She apparently saw him take off his Gekota head. If I head to guess, that's probably the reason she got lost in the first place. Actually, it was thanks to him that I managed to track down Febri as quickly as I did."

"Speaking of which, you have that dirty magazine you promised me?" Aogami asked, much to Touma's displeasure.

"Dirty magazine?" Index glared, "Touma, you're not indulging in lustful materials, are you?"

"Oh wow, look at the time! We better get into the baths before it gets too late to really enjoy it!" Touma cried in a panic, pushing the rest of the Delta Force towards the men's bath, "I'll see you girls once we finish up!"

Once safely in the men's bath, Touma took the opportunity to relax. Unfortunately, his friends had other plans in store for him. The entire time they were together, Tsuchimikado and Aogami made it their goal to make as many jabs about Touma constantly being surrounded by girls as possible. They talked none stop about how he essentially had a harem and how he should just choose a girl already so that the rest of the female population could be taken by the likes of lonely men like themselves. To make matters worse, the men's and women's baths were separated by a single wall that didn't reach all the way up to the ceiling, so the girls could hear everything the boys said, and vice versa.

"Seriously Kami, just pick a girl already!" Aogami complained, "You're constantly surrounded by all types and genres of girls, so you have no excuse for not having someone that fits your preferences."

"I mean, come on, look at the girls with you right now!" Tsuchimokado pointed out, "Seven girls total, one's a loli, four are middle schoolers, one's a little sister figure, and the last one's our age! Among them there are high level Espers, computer experts, nuns, law enforcers, wild partiers, rumor hunters, and masochist lesbians! There is so much variety there!"

"Can you please not talk about them like that when they're right there!" Touma yelled, pointing towards to wall dividing the baths.

"Ah, let them talk, Kamijou," Saten insisted from the other side of the wall, "It's actually kind of flattering."

"I'm pretty sure you're the only one that thanks that, Flipper," Touma moaned.

On the bright side, the incomplete wall meant that Touma was still able to converse with the girls and could hear Mikoto and Febri making progress with their newly developed friendship. The middle school girl even went as far as to officially concede the Pink Gekota Finger Puppet to the smaller girl. Another plus was the ability to soap and shampoo whenever one side had run out, though this also led to inevitable slip-ups on Touma's part, causing him to fall over and receive multiple head injuries.

Strangely enough though, Touma had yet to hear a word form Kuroko. Considering is was a shared women's bath, he would have expected her to be all over Mikoto by then. Even when the girls were all soaking in the tub and washing each other's backs, there was not a peep from the Teleporter.

"Hey, did you boys know the men's and women's sides of the bath are totally connected by the central tub?" Saten suddenly called out.

"Saten, why would you tell them that?!" Uiharu reprimanded.

"You might be able to see stuff under water," Saten continued, "Or maybe you'll even manage to swim over."

"Don't encourage them!" Touma yelled.

"For the sake of our manhood, we must do this!" Tsuchimikado declared, standing up from the tub the Delta Force were soaking in, "We must do whatever we can to surpass Kami!"

"Aye sir!" Aogami cried in agreement, "I will follow you anywhere, Siscon Sargent."

While Touma was not willing to tempt fate, the other members of the Delta Force were all too happy to try. On the other side of the bathhouse wall and central tub was a room full of naked girls, including a high school girl their age with one of the most impressive busts they've seen in a while. To not make an attempt to reach that paradise would be blasphemy.

Thus, like true idiots, they dived straight into the central tub that feed into both sides of the bathhouse.

"Dive challenge!" the two boys cried as the dived straight into the pull.

Unfortunately, they failed to realize that the central pool was filled with the hottest water in all of the bathhouse and jumped straight out, screaming in pain.

"They keep us separate by supply all the hot water right there!" Aogmai screamed as he poured kiloliters of ice-cold water over his head.

"Let's freeze our heads so we can take the pain!" Tsuchimikado suggested, doing the same thing.

"Dive challenge number two!" the boy cried out as they attempted another dive.

Sadly, the result was exactly the same as before, only this time the two boys suffered reddening from their burns.

"I can't believe they fell for it!" Saten laughed.

"Figures she was trying to goad us," Touma sighed.

* * *

As the sun began to go down, the group departed from the bathhouse, completely refreshed. Even Tsuchimikado and Aogami felt pretty good despite the injuries they acquired from their misguided attempt at peeping. The only person not refreshed as Kuroko, who apparently got caught up helping the Tokiwodai Dorm Manager, who was also visiting the bathhouse.

"Well, that was certainly relaxing," Mikoto sighed happily.

"Could have gone without the shenanigans," Touma complained, taking a sip of his soda.

"Come on, you loved it as much as we did," Saten encouraged.

"I'm pretty sure you're the only who enjoyed that, Ruiko," Index snarked.

"I'm inclined to agree," Uiharu added.

Suddenly, Touma began choking on his soda can. Acting quickly, Konori got behind her subordinate and performed a Heimlich Maneuver. After three thrusts into Touma diaphragm, he spat out something small and pink on to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Konori asked, concerned for the choking victim's health.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. I-it's just," Touma stammered.

"Just what?" Konori inquired.

"They're… touching me…," Touma answered reluctantly.

Looking down, Konori realized that she was still latched on to Touma with her ample chest pressed against his back. With a slight shriek, she left go of the boy stepped away, hiding her chest in in her arms.

"S-sorry about that," Konori stuttered, blushing slightly.

"Don't worry about it," Touma replied with a blush of his own, earning a glare from Mikoto, "Thanks for the save."

"Damn you Kami," Aogami and Tsuchimikado growled under their breaths.

"What were you even choking on?" Mikoto asked, bending down to get a closer look.

Joining her on the ground, Touma picked up the pink object he spit out by the tips of his fingers. Upon closer inspection, both students instantly recognized it.

"A Pink Gekota Finger Puppet!" Mikoto squealed, "You got the one in twenty cans finger puppet!"

"Guess I just found you a replacement," Touma chuckled, not appreciating the painful method in which he won the toy.

"It's this great, Febri, now be both have a Pink Gekota!" Mikoto cheered.

"Yay! Gekota!" the little girl beamed.

"Simply adorable," Uiharu mused.

Taking the new finger puppet to a nearby water fountain, Touma washed the Gekota off before wiping it clean. Once he was sure it was presentable, he handed the frog to Mikoto, who graciously accepted it.

"Well, I have a little sister waiting for me at home, so I'll be taking my leave," Tsuchimikado said with a wave as he walked off.

"I have to get going too," Aogmai said as he walked off in another direction, "Got to get to a certain maid café before they close. See you later, Kami."

"I better getting going too. I'll be heading this way," Konori spoke up, pointing down the road.

"Mind if I join you? My place is actually that way too," Touma asked.

"I don't see why not," Konori agreed, "We'll see the rest of you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good," Uiharu replied, "See you two later."

"Have a good night! See ya!" Saten and Mikoto added.

As the two high schoolers walked away, Touma could have sworn he heard Kuroko moaning about a lost paradise that rightfully belonged to her.

"We've had a pretty big day today. Huh?" Konori mused.

"Tell me about it," Touma moaned, "First the Security Meeting, then those Security Robots go haywire for no apparent reason, and then I nearly choked to death. I'm telling you, that's my rotten luck at its finest right there!"

"Well, at least everything turned out alright in the end," Konori pointed out, "Thanks for all your hard work today."

"Just doing my job," Touma replied, "I should be thanking you for putting up with me and my rotten luck."

"Come on, don't say that," the Judgement Chief encouraged, punching the boy playfully, "You're one of the most promising officers to join recently. You're help in the Level Upper and Poltergeist cases was invaluable."

"Honestly, it feels like they would have turned out just fine even if I didn't get involved," Touma shrugged.

"Even if your help wasn't needed, I still appreciate having you on the team."

"Glad to know I'm appreciated."

As the pair of high school students continued their way through the streets of Academy City, they found themselves taking a awful lot of detours. For some reason, there were detour signs everywhere they went, limiting them to a single possible. What was particularly strange was that the detours eventually lead to a dead end in an unoccupied construction site filled with oil barrels and wooden shipping crates. Unbeknownst to either of them, they were being followed by a single black van with tinted windows.

"Okay, this doesn't make sense," Konori pondered, "Last time I check, detour signs were supposed to lead you away from dead ends, not towards them."

"Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere," Touma suggested.

Pulling out his phone, Touma tried to check his GPS to see in they took a wrong turn somewhere. However, he instead found a large number of missed calls from Kongou, most likely made while he and the girls were all in the bathhouse.

Touma tried to return one of the calls to ask what the occasionally airheaded Level 4 was so desperate to talk about, but he stopped when he noticed something odd about his surroundings. From the far side of the construction site, just beyond a stack of empty oil barrels, he could hear the sound of humming, like an engine or motor revving up to go. The sound was also getting loud, meaning either the source was getting closer, more powerful, or both. With these signs in mind, Touma quickly took action in response to the impending danger.

"Get down!" Touma yelled, tackling the girl next to him a few meters away from where they were originally standing.

No sooner after he did, a green Powered Suit crashed through the stack of oil barrels before running straight through were the two high school students had been standing. Had Touma not reacted accordingly, they might have been roadkill.

Realizing that they had a fight coming, Touma immediately picked himself off the ground and attempted to activate his ODD. However, his trusted weapon of choice did respond to his thoughts and remained in its collapsed Standby Mode. Checking the apparatus on his wrist, Touma realized that, for some reason, the was no signal exchange of between ODD and its neuro link apparatus. To make matters worse, he couldn't connect to the Disciplinary Committee Network with it either, so calling for Judgement or Anti-Skill through it was impossible.

"Rotten luck! Of all the times to malfunction!" Touma moaned, putting his weapon away, "Chief, I'm going to lead it away! Meanwhile, you contact Anti-Skill!"

"Wait, Kamijou!" Konori cried out, but was ignored as the boy ran off.

Picking up a random stone off the ground, Touma threw the rock at the Powered Suit in an attempt to gain the pilot's attention. When the stone hit, the Powered Suit didn't even flinch, but it still directed its attention solely on Touma. As the mechanical suit gave chase, Touma quickly climbed up a stack of nearby crates to get away. While Powered Suits can be pretty mobile on level ground thanks to having motors in the soles of their feet, they were terrible with lateral movement.

Unfortunately, the pilot of this particular Powered Suit didn't seem to care for lateral movement. Instead of working around an uneven playing field, they opted to completely flatten it. With its heavy weight crowbar and bulky frame, the Powered Suit tore apart the crates that Touma had escaped on top off, slowly but surely stripping Touma of his high ground.

"Any chance Anti-Skill is on their way?" Touma called out, slightly panicked.

"No good! I can't get a signal!" Konori replied, tossing a stone of her own to try to draw the Powered Suit away.

For some reason, the pilot didn't notice the stone hit the suit. It just kept smashing away at the crates like nothing else mattered. It was as if Touma was its only target.

Soon enough, the crates had taken too much damage and gave way. Touma's high ground collapsed, spilling out its supply of pipes. With a less than graceful PK roll, Touma managed to land safely on the ground and still keep some distance between him and the hostile machine. Now on the ground, he acted quickly and grabbed one of the many two-meter steel pipes scattered across the ground. While it was no Omni Defense Device, the pipe would surely make for a useful weapon.

Charging at Touma once again, the Powered Suit raised its heavy-duty crowbar over its headpiece before bringing it down on its target. Quickly adapting to the differently distributed weight of the pipe, Touma barely managed to parry the strike, using the shaft of his pipe to redirect the momentum of the falling crowbar. Touma repeated the process with each subsequent, stepping back with each strike and barely managing to maintain his defense. Even though he now had a tool that could potentially punch through the large visor, Touma didn't dare attempt it out of fear of harming the pilot.

'What's with this guy? Why is he only attacking me?' Touma asked himself in he head as he was slowly backed into a corner, 'Chief threw a rock at the suit too, so why didn't it react when it had a much easier target? Unless…'

Thinking back to what Shizuri had told him before about one of her bust jobs, there existed Powered Suits that could be controlled remotely and didn't need to have a pilot inside. If this was indeed the case, then there might not be a reason for him to worry about hurting anyone.

"Chief!" Touma called out, "I need you to use your Clairvoyance to check the inside of the suit! Is there anyone inside?!"

"What? Why do you need to know that?" Konori asked in response, not entirely sure what Touma was planning.

"Just do it! Hurry!" the misfortunate boy pled.

Although still unsure of her coworker's plan, Konori did as she was requested. Looking into the depths of the Powered Suit, she was more than a bit surprised at what she found.

"It's completely empty!" the Judgement chief reported, "No pilot, and no batteries either!"

"So, it's the same as the Security Robots, huh?" Touma mused, quickly formulating a plan.

Just before he got pinned into a corner, Touma quickly rolled to his right, barely dodging the Powered Suit's crowbar as it drove itself into the ground. Using the few seconds the Powered Suit took to pull it's crowbar out, Touma quickly ran over to one of the scattered barrels and stood it upright. As soon as the Powered Suit was focused on him again, Touma positioned himself so he was to the left of the barrel and slightly behind it. With his pipe staff in hand, it was time for Touma to test his bull fighting.

With its target in sight, the metaphorical bull that was the rouge Powered Suit charged at the red cape that was Touma Kamijou. Just before the rouge piece of hardware would have run him over, the high school boy sidestepped to his right and orbited about the barrel. With everything aligned, Touma jumped off the barrel for a boost and cleared the height of the Powered Suit. By the time the suit turned around, Touma drove his pipe staff through the visor, using his own weight to increase the force of the impact, hoping to knock out the suit's systems.

Sadly, Touma's plan failed at the most crucial step. While the pipe did pierce through to the lowest level of the Powered Suit, the machine remained functional, leaving Touma dangling from the suit as it thrashed violently to reached him. In an attempt to stay on and maybe pump the pipe to do further damage to the internal systems, Touma gripped the rim of the headpiece with his right hand. However, as soon as he did, Imagine Breaker reacted, ringing out its signature chime of shattering glass. Next thing Touma knew, the suit stopped moving. Its limbs went limp and it collapsed in on itself, falling backward in a heap of metal. At the top of that heap was Touma Kamijou, completely lost as to what just happened.

"What the hell?" Touma asked himself, unsure of what just transpired.

"Kamijou, are you okay?!" Konori cried, quickly running over to her comrade.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Touma said as he got up, "Just really confused."

At the same time that Touma took his right hand off of the Powered Suit, the black van that had been following the pair of Judgement Officers up until then pulled away. Once the van was gone, Touma receive a notification from his ODD's neuro link apparatus. All network connections had been restored. The same applied to Touma and Konori's cell phones.

"Of course it decided to start working after the action is over," Touma moaned.

"Has that ever happened before?" Konori asked.

"No," Touma replied, "That's the strange part. It's worked perfectly fine since the day I got the first prototype."

"Any idea what this Powered Suit was doing here and why it attacked us?" the chief inquired.

"No clue. The most I can figure out is that this thing was specifically targeting me and something supernatural was responsible. It didn't even seem to notice you, Chief, and my right hand made it stop," Touma admitted, kneeling down to inspect the fallen machine, "Could it have been a Technopath?"

"Unlikely," Konori replied, debunking Touma's theory, "While Technopaths can manipulate technology from a distance if they are a high enough level, they still need that technology to be in working order in the first place. This Powered Suit didn't have any power source."

"Better report this to Anti-Skill then," Touma suggested, "This might shed some light on what happened with the Security Robots earlier today."

"Already on it," Konori reported, already dialing for Anti-Skill on her phone.

While Konori was making the call, Touma continued to perform a primary investigation of the Powered Suit. As per Judgement protocol, he was not allowed to touch the evidence without Anti-Skill supervision in the event it was contaminated. Considering his luck, it was probably for the best regardless. Still, this meant he could not look in the interior of the suit to look for evidence since that would entail opening it up after it had been disabled. Anti-Skill was the only group with authorization to do so, so Touma was left with nothing to do but analyze what was immediately visible. However, before he got the chance to really get into the search, he heard two familiar female voices calling out his name.

"Kamijou!" the voices cried out.

Turning around, Touma saw Kongou's friends, Wannai and Awatsuki, running towards him. They both looked to be out of breath, as if they had been running around the city for a while.

"Thank goodness we found you," Wannai panted, out of breath.

"Hey Wannai, Awatsuki," Touma greeted, getting off the ground, "Is there something you needed from me?"

"We need to tell you something important. It's about Febri," Awatsuki explained, panicked, "Do you know where she is now?"

"Whoa, easy there! She's with Mikoto and the others," Touma replied, "Why? What's wrong with Febri?"

Before Touma could get an answered out of the two Tokiwodai girls, he got a call from Mikoto. Quickly picking up the phone, he asked what was so important for her to call him now of all times. Unfortunately, it was not good news in the slightest. Febri had collapsed and was sent to the hospital.

* * *

"Excellent. We now know that our work can hold its own nicely against Railgun and her ability," Shunichi Kosako of STUDY reported, going over the recently recorded data, "Though, it would have been preferable if our machine made it through the experiment in better shape."

"Well, we all take risks in the name of greater knowledge," fellow STUDY member Kenji Madarame remarked.

"It's too bad the same thing cannot be said about the trial conducted on Touma Kamijou, who managed to best our work with the use of his right hand," Jun Sakurai mused, "Still, today's data has ensured that the program will be even more accurate."

"It's actually a good thing that the third ranked and compatriots interfered," Hirotada Sekimura concluded."

"Today's experiments have demonstrated something vital," The leader of STUDY, Haruki Aritomi pointed out, standing up from his seat at the head of the table, "The fact that even those Espers who possess the strongest abilities are vulnerable to attack. And while our work was not able to best Touma Kamijou, the experiment has shown that no Esper is truly invincible against the power known as Imagine Breaker. Academy City's inconsistency will be exposed. Now, my friends, its time to call a vote concerning Febri's disposition."

While most of STUDY was more than happy to continue their work, one member in particular was not. Sitting opposite from Aritomi sat one Shinobu Nunotaba, wearing her usual passive expression.

* * *

When Touma, Wannai, and Awatsuki arrived at Heaven Canceller's hospital, they were greeted by the sight of Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, Uiharu, Index, and Kongou. After getting a call from Mikoto regarding Febri's condition, Touma entrusted Konori to handle the report to Anti-Skill while he and the girls rushed to the hospital to check on Febri. When Wannai and Awatsuki heard the news, the quickly contacted Kongou, who had been with Mikoto's group at the time. Since everyone had business with everyone else concerning Febri, they all decided to meet at the hospital to get everything settled.

"How is she?" Touma asked as he approached.

"Last we saw her, she was still unconscious, and her fever was getting worse," Saten explained.

"How did this happen?" Touma inquired, continuing his investigation.

"We don't know," Kuroko admitted, "Anti-Skill is investigating now, but we haven't found any leads so far."

"All we know is that an unpiloted Powered Suit with no power source attacked Misaka, there was no record of it on the security cameras, our phones wouldn't work at the time, and Febri collapsed soon after," Uiharu explained.

"Wait, you too?" Touma asked in shock.

"What do you mean 'you too'?" Mikoto asked in response.

"Chief and I got attacked by a Powered Suit in the exact same way," Touma explained, "It was solely targeting me, and I couldn't even use my ODD because of it. Thankfully, I was able to improvise some weapons and stop it with Imagine Breaker, At the very least, we know the cause is supernatural."

"Well, that's good to know," Mikoto pondered, placing her hand on her chin.

"Excuse me? Care to fill us in on what you're all talking about?" Kongou requested, not appreciating her and her friends being left out of the conversation.

"Never mind that right now," Mikoto insisted, "You said you had something to tell us, Kongou? The reason for all of those calls?"

"Oh, yes! I nearly forgot! We believe sweet Febri may be in danger," Kongou revealed.

"What?" Touma asked, "In danger how?"

"At the Reach Assembly, we ran into the man that insulted Kongou and was told off by Kamijou the other day," Awatsuki explained.

"Awatsuki and I wanted give him a piece of our minds, so we followed him," Wannai continued, "However, we overheard him mention Febri on the phone, apparently having attempted to take her earlier today, treating her like some sort of mission objective."

"That guy wanted Febri?" Mikoto asked, shocked by what she heard.

"Yes. We tried to call you before, but we couldn't reach any of you," Kongou explained, "So, we decided to split up and search the city for you, and as luck would have it, we managed to find all of you at around the same time."

"Sounds almost contrived when you put it like that," Index noted, "Like something an author would write as a convenient way for everyone to meet together."

"Regardless, thanks for telling us," Touma said with a slight bow, "We truly are grateful."

"Oh no, no thanks are necessary," Kongou insisted, shielding her face behind her fan.

"Well, it's getting pretty late," Wannai noted, "We better get going."

"Is it that late already?" Awatsuki asked, checking the time on her phone.

"Is that so?" Kongou inquired, sounding rather disappointed, "We're terribly sorry to leave you all, but we must go now. You'll keep us updated if anything happens to Febri, right? After everything that's happened, we're all Febri's friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," Mikoto agreed with a nod, "We'll be sure to tell you if anything important comes up."

Reassured that they would be kept informed, Kongou, Wannai, and Awatsuki left the hospital for the night. After hearing the news that the three Tokiwodai girls provided, no one in the group could get a clear grasp of what was happening. Febri was a target and was being treated like some sort of object. It was hard to believe that anyone could be so cold to such a sweet little girl.

The group waited the whole night in the hospital for Febri to get better. They were so worried for the little girl that the likes of Mikoto and Kuroko didn't care if they got punished for being out past curfew. Febri's health was by far the bigger concern. Soon enough, exhaustion got the better of them, causing the girls to fall asleep where they sat at once bench and Touma to fall asleep just behind them.

* * *

The next morning, Touma woke up to the sensation of sunlight on his eyelids. Stirring from his slumber, he looked around to get his bearings. Among the first things he saw as he arose from his slumber was an annoyed face he did not see much of over the last couple of days.

"I finally get some free time and come home, only to find that you spent the night in the hospital with several girls," the owner of the face sighed, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Sis!" Touma jumped upon recognizing the face, slamming his head in to the back of Mikoto's head, waking her and the rest of the girls up.

"Ow! Watch it, idiot!" Mikoto complained as she rubbed her head, barely registering the fact that Shizuri was present.

"Good to see you too," Shizuri replied, "Care to explain why you spent the night at a hospital when you're not even injured."

"T-that's a bit of a long story," Touma chuckled a humorless chuckle.

Before the unfortunate younger brother could explain the situation, the doctor known as Heaven Canceller exited Febri's room. Greeting the visitors, he invited them all, Shizuri included, to come she what had become of his most recent patient.

Entering the hospital room, the group was overjoyed to find that Febri was completely back to normal. She didn't appear to be suffering any of the ailments she had the other day and was back to talking to her Gekota Finger Puppet. Upon seeing the little girl in the hospital bed, Shizuri instantly understood what the story was. After all, it wasn't too hard to figure out when Touma was involved.

While most of the group was checking up with Febri, the doctor suggested that Shizuri go introduce herself to the young girl while he spoke with Mikoto and Touma in private outside the room. Seeing no harm in it beyond leaving her brother with the Railgun, Shizuri agreed, letting the frog-faced doctor discuss his matter with the two oldest students.

"Doctor, we'd like to thank you for all your help," Mikoto said with a bow.

"Seriously, you are a genuine miracle worker," Touma complemented with his own bow.

"Please, I didn't actually do anything," the doctor insisted, throwing both students for a loop.

"Huh?" both students replied.

"I'm sorry, but helping her is beyond my capabilities," Heaven Canceller explained sadly.

"What? Is it really that bad?" Mikoto asked in horror.

"Come on, doc. Surely there's something you can do," Touma begged.

"No, sadly. If it were some human illness, I'm sure I could. But the fact is, she's not human," the doctor revealed, much to Touma and Mikoto's confusion, "The girl has been scientifically engineered. She's a construction."

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple! I'm your host, Animan von Elysium X!" the master of the temple greeted with gusto, "And with me is my every faithful assistant, Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami."**

 **"Thank you for your unyielding support," the high school priestess said with a bow.**

 **"Over 1000 reviews! Can you believe it, Himegami?" Animan asked with a massive grin on his face.**

 **"Too bad it had to happen during the worst arc in the entire series," Himegami deadpanned.**

 **"...Still on that, huh?"**

 **"Well, at least it's starting to look better," the hime cut wearing girl admitted, "The fight between Kamijou and the Powered Suit was nice, and it was definitely one of your better choreographed fights."**

 **"I thought all my fights were well choreographed."**

 **"Keep telling yourself that, Master."**

 **"Ouch," Animan cried, feeling like he just had his own sword run through his chest.**

 **"We'll see you all next time for the next chapter, 'Into the Darkness'," Priestess Number 1 said with a wave.**

 **"See you..." Animan said weakly.**


	47. Into the Darkness

**Hey internet! Long time no see! Man, this chapter took much longer to write than expected. Stretched out longer than expected to. Literally, not even halfway through the original episode and it had already matched and surpassed the lengths of most of the previous chapters. Couple that with me getting a bit sick during that time and needing time off from writing and this chapter came out much latter than expected. Well, nothing I can do about it now. All that matters is the chapter is here.**

 **For now, let's take a look at the reviews you all left so we can get your questions answered.**

 _Healthcare: Thanks for the tips. Writing fight scenes has never been my forte and text as a medium doesn't exactly lend itself will to long, complex, action scenes, so I usually keep them short and concise. I'll try to improve the next time action is brought up, which my be a little while._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Thanks so much! Not a lot to work with in the last chapter, but I made do with what I could and added a bit of flare where it could fit._

 _BlueJack22: Everyone needs a break every once and a while. Aliester knows all in Academy City. No one's secrets are safe in that city. No one messes with a Kamijou and gets away with it._

 _Savior555: HeRe iS mOrE!_

 _SolanaLeonhart: Like I've said many times before, a personal goal of mine within this story is to make the original story a bit more centralized, hitting all the original story beats in new and refreshing ways. Controversial might be the wrong term. More like maligned. It's not that the arc is talked about a lot, it's that all the talk about it is about how bad the arc was._

 _OnePunchPlayer: Poor, unassuming fools, those scientists. I'm pretty sure the Invisible Thing has some sort of blunt force behind it. When it attacked Aureolus in the anime, there were blood splatters when it bit down, so it could be possible._

 _mohamadstar94: You don't have to keep me updated on that kind of news. The internet blew up when that news first hit, so I was sure to learn about it on my own._

 _fencer29: Hey, one might be a pervert and the other by be a backstabber, but they're both genuinely friendly to people they care about. That is slander right there, good sir._

 _RedSS: You've become a really hard to please customer as of late, you know that? Well, can't blame anyone but myself for that considering the last time you've had a purely positive reaction was back during the Sisters Arc, an arc that was already well praised and reinvented with my own writing skills while everything else as of late have been generally less well received arcs, with Silent Party being the absolute worst among them. Still, not giving up on this. Too far in to back out anyway._

 _Berix: Thanks for pointing out the typos. No matter what I do, some of them always elude me._

 _shiroryuu012: You really think Heaven Canceller got nerfed in this arc? Well, good sir, allow me to counter that assessment with an argument built from real world science which you will see later in the chapter._

 _dhart868: That is some heavy spoilers for later down the line, so I unfortunately cannot reveal anything here. If you really want to know, please PM me for a private conversation._

 _GhostlyStranger: Honestly, I don't think it was meant to be a surprise considering the arc's placement right after the Sisters Arc. Doesn't help that in the Railgun S second OP, Febri is depicted with strings attached to her, a literal puppet. Pretty sure you where supposed to suspect it the whole time._

 _vampireharry the 2: Sorry to keep you waiting._

 _Generation Zero: Like I said, I had plans for changes to come in effect early on, they just don't don't have any lasting impacts until recently. I'm not sure I want Touma to get so strong that he can take on the FIVE_OVER Series. After all, that's Hamazura's specialty, so I don't want to take to much away from him when he hasn't even made an appearance yet. Aliester has always been one to play the long game and not make unnecessary moves. Trust me when I say I have big plans for the near future, especially during the Daihasei. That when things are really going to start shaking up._

 _A certain guest (Guest): Yeah, Saten always did feel underutilized and/or misused past the Level Upper Arc, so I'm hoping to do something somewhat interesting with her in the future._

 _Handsomistic1: References and 4th wall breaks. They are among my top 10 forms of comedy, along side puns and bodily humor._

 _mohamadstar94: Big spoiler there, friend. PM me if you really want to know what I have planned for her._

 _RPGPersona: Well, As Touma pointed out later on, obvious Esper abilities like Technopaths wouldn't work since they still need the tech to be in functioning condition. Diffusion Ghost was an unknown ability at that time, so they had no clue who the incidents could have happened. Like Tsuchimikado and Aogami said, a bathhouse is a social experience. You have to bring a plus one. That wasn't a joke either, from what I've learned about Japanese culture in my own time, it really is a supposed to be social experience where you interact with others on an even playing field. In Mikoto's defense, on in in her party had an ability to check the inside of the suit for a pilot. All she knew was that there was no power running through it. Honestly, I don't think the Febri thing was ever meant to be a twist. The second OP for Railgun S clearly depicts her as a puppet with strings. I think you'll find the changes with Shizuri added to be quite interesting._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: I don't do irregular uploads because I want to. I have a life outside of this site and have a hard time meeting a deadline, so I just post whenever I can get a chapter written._

 _Skywarp (Guest): That is a massive spoiler there._

 **Okay! Now that that's been taken care you, you all know the drill by now.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 47: Into the Darkness

Touma and Mikoto could barely believe what they were hearing. According to Heaven Canceller, the best doctor in all of Academy City and possibly the world, the little girl knows as Febri was an artificial construct. She was made by a couple of people in lab coats in a laboratory somewhere. She was not human. The whole concept sounded so crazy, it just didn't seem like it could be real.

"Come on, quick pulling our legs, Doc," Touma said through a humorless laugh.

"Honestly I wish I was. It's easy to see why you wouldn't believe me, most wouldn't. Common sense would normally negate the possibility. But then again, we humans have never been very good at knowing where the limits of common sense are. It's how we progress. We take something that seems impossible by common sense and make it possible," the doctor explained, "Of course, you two of all people should understand such a situation."

Looking down at the floor, the two students couldn't deny the doctor's claims. Mikoto MIsaka, the third ranked Level 5, had twenty thousand clones of her produced and ten thousand thirty-one of them killed in an experiment. That same experiment was put to a stop by Touma Kamijou, the Imagine Breaker, after stumbling upon the secret and stepping in for the sake of his oldest friend, his newest friend, the girl who confessed to him, and himself. They knew better than most how far some people would go in pursuit of something. The researchers of Academy City conducted numerous inhumane experiments to produce a Level 6. Yuri Suzushina embraced his title as Accelerator, the Strongest Esper, to gain the power to scare people away from pursuing him to take it. Shizrui Mugino Kamijou gave up her normal life in a bid to give her little brother one that he was denied because of his luck and reputation. With the right motivation, there were no limits to common sense and what people would do.

"I started my investigation by analyzing the proteins of which Febri's body was composed," Heaven Canceller explained, "It wasn't long before I realized that they were not proteins that occur in nature. For her part though, it seems she is not aware that she's not just an ordinary person wandering through the city. Of course, you can't tell just by looking at her. Her body functions very similarly to the way anyone else's would, but there is one problem."

"And that would be?" Touma asked, already not liking where the conversation was going.

"Every time her body produces new cells to replace the old ones, it involuntarily produces a certain amount of toxin at the same time as well," the frog-faced doctor revealed, taking a seat on a hospital bench.

"Toxin?" Mikoto asked, utterly shocked.

"If left alone, they will accumulate in her body, causing her internal organs to shut down, killing her," the doctor concluded with a solemn look in his eyes.

"That can't be right, she's doing fine now," Mikoto denied.

"That's because of her candy," the doctor rebutted, "A component within them neutralizes the toxin. It's no exaggeration to say that its those suckers are keeping her alive right now."

"Without the lollipops, she dies," Mikoto summarized grimly, "Is that what your trying to tell us?"

"I'm telling you what I know," Heaven Canceller clarified, "Unfortunately, I can't fill in the details for you. This could be a mistake made in a lab or an intentional failsafe implanted in her design. Either way, if you want to find out how to keep her body functioning as it should, the best idea would be to track down the people who created her in the first place."

"But who is that? Who are the people who created Febri, and for what reason?" Mikoto growled, "Are the people who run this city starting another sick experiment?!"

"I'm not sure if this will be of any help, but a number of years ago, I hear rumors of a group that was looking into scientifically recreating human life," the doctor confessed, "Unfortunately, the rumors evaporated, and I can't say for certain what happened next."

"So, she's a product of that experiment," Touma deduced.

"At the time, experiments of that nature were the province of the city's underworld," the frog-faced doctor continued, "You of all people should understand this concept very well, Kamijou."

Neither student could deny the doctor's claim. Touma's own sister now lived a double life, trying to live in the light along side her brother while working in the darkness that she dived head first into for that same brother's sake. While working in that darkness, she nearly took Mikoto's life while the Railgun was trying to undermine Project Level 6 Shift. Having to face such forces head on was not an appealing prospect.

"I assume you want to save the girl, but if you do, you had better be prepared to face the darkness at the heart of this city," Heaven Canceller advised as he took his leave, "Tell me, is that something you think you're ready for."

Mikoto had no response. After the experience she had fighting for her life against ITEM, she wasn't sure if she was willing to face something like that again. However, Touma responded immediately, almost naively so.

"Of course I'll dive into the darkness," Touma replied firmly, "Shizuri has been living in that underworld for the last decade. She may have been twisted in some ways, but she's still the same sister I've always known. If she can walk through those shadows, then so can I!"

Neither Mikoto nor the doctor could believe how genuine Touma sounded about his reply. There was not hesitation, no second guessing, just un unyielding will fighting against everything that stood between him and his goal. Much like the people who he had faced in the past, Touma Kamijou was not the kind of person to just let something stop him from reaching his goal. He always moved forward, facing down anything and everything in his way with steely eyes, a silver tongue, and a clinched right fist. All that mattered to Touma was that a little girl's life was in danger and he was in some position to help.

Upon hearing Touma's response, the frog-faced doctor couldn't help but smile as in continued to walk away. At times, Touma's courage and determination was misguided, idiotic even. But at the same time, it was admirable, something that everyone can learn from. If only that same courage and determination didn't always land him in the hospital.

"Why do you always have to go and act cool like that?" Mikoto asked in exasperation once the doctor had left.

"Who said I was trying to act cool? I'm just being honest," Touma replied, sounding somehow offended.

"Still, do you even know where to start? We have no leads whatsoever on who created Febri," the Railgun pointed out.

"I wouldn't say that," Touma countered, "Remember how we were both attacked by Powered Suits with no pilots or power supplies? How did your fight end?"

"Well, Febri ran into the middle of the fight to retrieve her Gekota which she dropped. When the suit charged at me when I was trying to get her out of the line of fire, it just suddenly stopped. Why do you ask?"

"I didn't think much of it at the time, but I saw that guy with the glasses that insulted Kongou the other day at the Academic Reach Assembly the other day," Touma confessed, "He was on the phone and standing by the Security Robots that attacked Febri just before we found her. Those Security Robots were just like the Powered Suits that attacked us: no power source and no one operating them. Now that we know that he's been searching for Febri, I think he and the malfunctioning robots might be connected. If he is connected, then it would make sense as to why the Powered Suit that attacked you stopped when Febri was a risk."

"But how are we going to track him? Do you even know his name?" Mikoto inquired.

"I don't, but someone I do know might," Touma said vaguely, gesturing for Mikoto to follow him back into Febri's room.

Upon entering the room, the Level 5 and the Level 0 were greeted by the sight of a perfectly happy and healthy Febri playing with her Gekota finger puppet. The middle school aged girls of the group were peacefully watching the young girl play and even Shizuri seemed to be getting along with Febri well enough. When the group noticed Touma and Mikoto return, the two elder students informed everyone that there was nothing to worry about and that Febri could be checked out. Upon hearing this, the likes of Uiharu and Saten discussed having Anti-Skill patrol around Saten's dorm to better protect the little girl in the event of another attack. Meanwhile Touma asked his sister to meet with him and Mikoto outside of the room, claiming to have something important to discuss. While Shizuri was skeptical at first, she obliged and followed the two younger students outside.

"So, what is this about exactly?" Shizuri asked, "This better not be about asking me to approve of a relationship between the two of you."

"It's not like that! Also, what is your problem with me?!" Mikoto cried in exasperation.

"Oh damn, where do I even start?" Shizuri grimaced.

"Could you two cut it out for a moment, please," Touma begged, "Listen Sis, yesterday, Mikoto and I were both attacked by rouge Powered Suits. No pilot, no power source. They're just like the suits that have been attacking you on the bust jobs you've been getting."

"What about it?" Shizuri inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"I believe that the person that attacked us and sending you on these bust jobs are the same, or at the very least connected," Touma confessed, "I need you to tell us what you know about the client whose been giving you these jobs."

"Even if I was comfortable telling you that kind of information, I can't," the Meltdowner sighed, "We work through an intermediary for client and worker security. Everything about the client is kept hidden from me."

"Rotten luck," Touma sighed, "Well, that hit a dead end quickly."

"Why did you want to know this information anyway?" Shizuri asked, clearly suspicious, "You're not trying to get involved in anything relating to Academy City's underworld and/or overly dangerous now, are you?"

"What? Of course not! It's just for a Judgement investigation," Touma quickly replied, "Besides, when have I ever done something like that?"

"Jumped in front of a graviton bomb, fought an AIM Burst, help take down a mad scientist with a jury-rigged hoverboard when you've never surfed before in your life, fought the city's strongest Esper to stop an inhumane experiment killing off a couple thousand clones of this little princess," Shizuri listed off, "Want me to keep going?"

"In my defense for the hoverboard, I had used a surfing simulator at a carnival I went to with Mikoto a few days prior," Touma defended weakly.

Shizuri only intensified her glare. At which point, Touma quickly got on his hands and knees, begging his sister for forgiveness.

"Well, I guess there's no point in trying to keep you uninvolved. You are in Judgement," Shizuri sighed, "Just promise me you won't go in over your head."

"I can't make any promises with my luck, but I'll do what I can to not get into too much trouble," Touma laughed stiffly, getting off the ground.

"Honestly, that the most I can hope for with you," Shizuri sighed, patting her brother on the head, an act that was a little awkward considering he was now five centimeters taller than her.

Now reassured that her brother would at least try to stay out of trouble, the fourth ranked Level 5 took her leave from the hospital, much to Touma's surprise.

"You're leaving already?" the unfortunate high school boy asked.

"I can see you have a lot on your plate right now," Shizuri responed, "I'll just stay out of your hair for now. If I'm not dragged out on to another job, I'll see you at home later."

"See you then, I guess," Touma said, somewhat disheartened.

"Oh, and something else before I go," Shizuri added, "Don't try anything with my brother, princess. You wouldn't be the first girl I had to chase away."

"Seriously?! You ignore me for the entire conversation and that's when I become relevant?!" Mikoto cried in frustration.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'wouldn't be the first girl' you 'had to chase away'? Is that why girls kept avoiding me in elementary school?!" Touma yelled in outcry, "I thought girls were just naturally put off by my rotten luck for all these years!"

Hearing the two student's outbursts, Shizuri couldn't help but giggle to herself as she walked away. Her brother had a tendency to get himself in a lot of trouble, but she trusted that he would be fine. After all, he managed to handle himself well enough for the last decade without her, hospital trips and amnesia aside. Now she was back in his life and could do what she could to protect him. Touma was her gleaming light in the darkness. She would do whatever it took to keep him shining. After all, this wouldn't be the first time she's done a little digging into what her clients were doing.

"I really, REALLY, don't like her," Mikoto huffed once Shizuri was out of sight.

"Trust me, I realize that the feeling is mutual," Touma sighed, "Sorry for making you sit through that. I thought we could have got some sort of lead, but it just came to a dead end."

"Don't worry about it," Mikoto insisted, "Let's just try to figure out our next move from here."

* * *

As the group left the hospital with Febri in tow, they discussed breakfast plans for the day. However, Touma and Mikoto remained silent, being much more focused on the matter of the mysterious group that manufactured the young girl they were taking care of. Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed by Kuroko, who instantly called them out on it.

"Alright, spit it out you two," Kuroko demanded.

"What do you mean?" Mikoto asked, feigning innocence.

"You two have been acting strange ever since you spoke with the doctor," Kuroko pointed out, "Not only that, the two of you had a private conversation with Shizuri immediately afterwards. Something is clearly bothering you two."

"Come on, don't be ridiculous," Touma denied, waving off the topic.

Kuroko attempted to push the subject further but got distracted by the sound of a kitten meowing. Looking down, the conversing students was a small, black kitten standing at their feet, one that Touma and Mikoto recognized very well. Looking over towards the hospital, the pair also spotted a familiar figure with bandages over her eyes and a pair of goggles on her head hiding behind a tree. Recognizing the kitten as a messenger of sorts, the two eldest students quickly made excuses to return to the hospital.

"Oh, I just remembered I forget to ask the doctor something," Mikoto blurt out, picking the kitten up from the ground, "You guys go one ahead, I'll catch up later."

"I'll go with you," Touma offered, "I actually need to check up with the doctor to make sure I don't owe him too much on medical bills."

"What are those two hiding now," Kuroko sighed, watching her seniors run back to the hospital.

* * *

"Long time no see," Touma greeted as he and Mikoto approached the Sister, whom now sat at bench at the hospital's park "It's been a while."

"Are you really okay to be out and about?" Mikoto asked in concern, handing her sister the kitten.

"I got permission from the doctor, so it shouldn't be a problem, Misaka says providing explanation," the bandaged girl said in her usual, robotic manner, "Thank you for retrieving Miko for me, Misaka says gratefully as she retrieves her kitten."

"So, you finally decided on a dignified name for him, huh?" Touma mused.

"Yes, his name is Miko, named for big sister, Misaka declares proudly as she presents the boy with her well cared for pet," the clone said, holding the kitten lovingly in her arms.

"Is that so? Nice to officially meet you, Miko," the high school boy greeted with a smile, "You and Mikoto picked a great name for him, Misaka."

"When picking names, the rest of the Misaka Network also added suggests such as Mato, named after a pumpkin. I decided to disregard those choices as a way to display my own individuality, Misaka explains, mildly surprised by the fact that the boy referred to big sister as 'Mikoto' and Misaka as 'MIsaka,' as opposed to 'Misaka's Sister' like he has in the past," Misaka 10032 said, "Will you tell Misaka why this change in addressing Misaka was enacted? Asks Misaka, grilling you the boy for information."

"Well, I've known Zapper here for a while now," Touma explained, "I figured that just using 'Misaka' and 'Misaka's Sister' would get really confusing considering there are now…"

Touma took a moment to do the math in his head.

"…9970 of you in total, so I switched to calling your big sister by her first name since she's the only one that has one."

"To make in fair, I also started calling this idiot by his first name," Mikoto added, "Of course, we still throw nicknames at each other for fun."

"I see," the Sister replied, "Basically, rather than taking the time to visit your hospitalized younger sister, big sister decided to instead grow closer to the boy that save her and her sisters collective 9970 lives. At the same time, you also decided to wait all night with the boy to see the results of that little girl's treatment. It appears that big sister cares far more about boys and unrelated little girls than she does for her own flesh and blood, Misaka notes with a pouty look and a dejected slump of her shoulders."

"Well…," Touma trailed awkwardly, "That certainly wasn't the turn I was expecting this conversation to go."

"Hey, you stop that right now," Mikoto demanded, "I've just been busy recently, all right. It wasn't like I wanted to favor Febri or this idiot over you. Besides, how do you even know about Febri?"

"If you will allow me to continue, Misaka sighs, exasperated by her big sister's antics. Late last night, I spoke with the girl known as Febri. During our conversation, I learned that she too has a big sister."

"Seriously?" Touma said in awe.

'Does this mean we have two artificially created little girls running around in the city?' the lone boy thought to himself.

"That is not all," the Sister continued, "See, Misaka pauses for effect, I sensed that all the knowledge she possesses adheres to a specific pattern, one embedded at the most basic level."

"What does that mean?" Mikoto asked, not completely following on what her sister was saying.

"It is something Misaka has experienced, similar to the early stages of the Testament Learning Process, Misaka reports, observing a comparison. In Misaka's opinion, it is not unlikely that she received her knowledge through the use of Testament," the Sister explained, "In fact, considering all the similarities in the underlying pattern, it is highly possible that the Testament Program developed for the girl was created by the same individual who developed Misaka's program, says Misaka, expressing her conjecture."

Upon hearing this, Mikoto's brain instantly went into overdrive. She knew very well who her sister was referring to. If Misaka 10032 was correct, then one Shinobu Nunotaba was responsible for Febri's current mental abilities. The high school genius hadn't been seen by Mikoto since she first learned about Project Level 6 Shift, and Touma had not seen her since he investigated her on the same project with very limited results.

"She was nice," Misaka 10032 mused, "That other girl. She showed Misaka what milk tea tasted like. If it were possible, I would like to meet her again to express gratitude. But that might never happen, says Misaka, resigned."

"Who are you talking about?" Touma asked, not entirely sure about what the sisters were discussing.

"Shinobu Nunotaba," Mikoto answered, her eyes downcast, "She was responsible for developing my sisters' minds during Project Level 6 Shift."

"So that's how she was connected," Touma mused.

"You know her?" the Railgun asked, clearly surprised.

"Kind of. I investigated her as a lead after Tsuchimikado told me he spotted you talking to her not too far away from my old dorm building," Touma admitted, "She didn't take to kindly to this and attacked me twice: once by trying to chop my head with a bag and again with a kick to my side. Thankfully, she telegraphs her attack a lot, so I managed to defend myself."

"You too, huh?" Mikoto sighed, rubbing the spot where she herself was kicked.

"Well, I must be going, Misaka says, getting up out of her seat," the Sister said, "I have another check-up scheduled with the doctor soon, so I will take my leave. It was a pleasure to speak to the two of you again, Misaka says, bowing in gratitude."

"No problem," Touma insisted with a smile.

"Yeah, you actually helped us a lot," Mikoto added, "I'll be sure to visit you again when I get the chance."

Nodding in reply, the Sister made her way back into the hospital, leaving the two students alone in the park with their thoughts.

Leaving the hospital grounds, the Level 5 and the Level 0 wandered the streets of Academy City, lost in thought. They were silent for the most part, each of them wanting to digest everything they learned so far. Eventually, Touma, in his usual straightforwardness, dropped the question that would set off a powder keg of doubt.

"So, what do you think about all this?" Touma asked, wanting to clear the air of all the tension.

"I'm not sure, honestly," Mikoto sighed, "We just managed to take care of the Sisters, and now we have this whole other problem with Febri apparently being artificial too. Not only that, but it appears that Shinobu Nunotaba might be involved as well."

"You think she is?" Touma inquired.

"I'm not sure," Mikoto admitted, "When I last saw her, she was just as determined to stop Project Level 6 Shift as you and I were, believing the Sisters to be even more human than herself in some respects. I find it hard to believe that she would willing get involved in another project that created artificial human life and regarded those lives as things instead of people."

"Then let's focus on what we do know for now," Touma suggested, "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem like much. We have a strong case for the people who are after Febri being the same people responsible to the recent robot attacks, but we can't confirm that without knowing their identities. Shizuri has been attacked by the same kinds of Powered Suits that we've been attacked by while on bust jobs, but given the fact she works through an intermediary and her feelings about me getting involved with the Academy City underworld, I'm not going to be able to get any information out of her as to who these people might be."

"Kongou also mentioned that the group we're dealing with was upset that they were unable to retrieve Febri, implying that they had lost her at some point," Mikoto pointed out, "This means that Febri got away somehow."

"That, or the group has a mole among them that helped her escape," the Level 0 argued.

"What are you getting at?" the Level 5 asked in response.

"You said it yourself, Nunotaba wouldn't agree with such a project after what happened with Project Level 6 Shift. It's just a hypothesis, but she could have been forced to work on the project and is now trying to undermine it from the inside."

"Either way, the best way we have of learning more would be to ask these people directly," Mikoto concluded, "Only problem is we don't know who these people could be. The most we know is that they're affiliated with Academy City's underworld.

"If that's the case, I can't drag the others into this," Touma added.

"Why are you acting like you're the only one that's getting involved in this?" the Railgun glared, "I'm just as involved in this as you are now. You can't make me stand still this time."

"But I'm the only one that agreed to carry the burden," the Imagine Breaker countered, "I said I was willing to trek through the darkness of this city if it meant protecting someone. You made no such declaration, nor are you obligated to. Like the doctor said, are you ready to face darkness at the heart of this city?"

For a moment, Mikoto was at a lose for words. If she were being honest, she wasn't entirely sure if she could face Academy City's underworld again. The last time she did, she nearly lost her life to two ruthless killers, and one of them happened to be Touma's older sister. Even though she wanted to be able to help Febri, Mikoto was unsure if she had the courage to step up to the plate again. Even when she planned on dying at the hands of Accelerator to stop Project Level 6 Shift, she lacked the proper courage to do so, wasting time on a bridge, crying her eyes out for some hero to come to her rescue.

Really, that was one of Mikoto's biggest weaknesses, her lack of courage. People saw her as the Third Ranked Level 5, the strongest Electromaster. With titles like that, her friends and innocents looked up to her for encouragement during the tough times. In actuality, her heart was a weak as anyone else's. She freezes up when faced with someone clearly stronger than her like with Accelerator. She hesitated when deciding to end her life for the sake of 9969 others. She couldn't even muster the courage to tell a boy she liked her true feelings without some sort of "now or never" scenario. With such a weak heart, could she really face the darkness at the heart of the city?

"How do you do it?" Mikoto asked in a near whisper, "How do you always find the courage to stand up for what you believe in?"

"Me?" Touma asked, pointing to himself.

Mikoto only nodded in reply.

"Honestly, I don't think I'm all that courageous," Touma sighed, taking a seat of a flight of outdoor stairs, "I guess I just can't let a goal go once I've set my sights on it. I see someone in need, and I do whatever I can, however I can, to see that they get the help they need."

Touma paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"When it comes down to it, I just can't leave people alone to suffer," Touma concluded, "I think of all the smiles that I need to protect, and they keep me going."

"A happy ending where everyone walks away smiling, right?" Mikoto asked, taking a seat next to her crush, "That's what you always aim for."

"Yeah," Touma replied with a smile, "That's why I don't want you to get involved if you don't think you're able to handle it. I don't want you to have to sacrifice your own smile for someone else's, especially after everything I did to give you the chance to smile after the Sisters incident."

"You're sweet, you know that?" Mikoto said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "But you're also the biggest idiot I've ever known."

"What did I do this time?" the boy sighed, having no clue what the girl was calling him an idiot for.

"Your reason for wanting to get involved is the same as mine. I don't want you sacrificing your smile just to protect someone else's either," Mikoto explained, determination evident in her voice, "That's why I've decided to help. You're happy when other people are happy, but you always suffer on the road to help others. That's why I'm getting involved too, so you don't have to carry this burden all by yourself. I'll watch your back and you'll watch mine. If we do that, we can get through this without sacrificing anything."

"Are you sure?" Touma inquired, silently hoping he could convince her otherwise.

"Definitely," Mikoto nodded, "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'll walk beside you then entire way through the darkness of this city."

Touma took a moment to take everything as Mikoto made her declaration. There was a fire in her eyes that burned with determination. It was quite obvious that she meant every word she had just said, a rare occurrence considering her status as a bonified tsundere. It was clear that wavering from this decision was the last thing she was going to do. Smiling at the girl, Touma placed his hand over the one on his shoulder and gripped it tight.

"Alright then," Touma nodded in reply, "We'll do this together."

As per usual, Touma failed to see the subtext of the actions he had taken. Also as per usual, Mikoto saw nothing but the subtext of the pair's positions and quickly started to get embarrassed. Even if she had come to terms with her feelings for the high school boy, being able to deal with them was still a challenge at times, especially when Touma blindly put the two of them in compromising situations that could easily be mistake for as couple's interactions without proper context.

Mikoto's cheeks took on a slightly pink tint and she could feel her face warming up. She found it increase more difficult to look Touma in the eye as he gripped the hand she placed on his shoulder. Thankfully, before Mikoto could really start thinking too hard about the situation, she received a phone call that broke her from her thoughts and back to reality. Taking her hand back to check her phone, the Railgun saw that it was Kongou.

"Hello?" Mikoto greeted, answering the phone, "Hey Kongou, what's going on?"

" _What's going on? I've been on pins and needles ever since I left you all yesterday_ ," Kongou replied, concern evident in her voice, " _I call the hospital, but they said she had been discharged._ "

"Oh! Sorry about that," Mikoto apologized, "Yeah, she's fine now. By the time we left, she had even gotten her appetite back, so there should be no cause for concern. She was seen by Touma's regular doctor, who is a real miracle worker. Touma's actually here with me right now so you can ask him yourself. I'll put you on speaker."

Pulling the cell phone away from her face, Mikoto switched it to speaker mode and held it between her and Touma, allowing them to both hear and speak to Kongou on the other end of the line.

" _Hello? Kamijou, are you there? Is what Misaka said true?_ " Kongou asked.

"I'm here," Touma answered, "Yeah, the doctor I normally see saw Febri and she's as good as new now. I really couldn't recommend him enough."

Technically, Touma and Mikoto weren't lying. Heaven Canceller was a miracle worker with the highest recommendations and had seen Febri. They never said that his treatment as the direct cause of her improved health.

" _That's wonderful news! I'll be sure to pass that on to Awatsuki and Wannai_ ," Kongou cheered.

"I'm sure they'll be happy to hear it," Touma encouraged.

" _You know, they were really glad to be of help the other day_ ," Kongou admitted, " _They said they were lucky to find Kamijou just as he got the call about what happened to Febri so they could make sure he was informed about that group out to get her._ "

"I will admit, that was a lucky break," Touma agreed, "The three of you found our two groups just in time and make sure we all knew about the danger Febri was in. We really are grateful you told us."

" _Think nothing of it_ ," the Level 4 said in a surprisingly not haughty manner, " _Wannai and Awatsuki told me the other day that true friends are there for you during the bad times, as well as the good. That's what caring about someone means. I believe they're right to think so. I know I would have hated to be left out of the loop when there was something I could have done. Friendship is a truly wonderful gift, isn't it?_ "

Upon hearing Kongou's words, the Level 5 and Level 0 couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt about their decision to leave everyone else out of the loop regarding Febri's position. The friendships they made with the likes of Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Index have been some of the most precious things they have. When Touma lost his memories, they were there to help ease the burden of having to start over. When they first met Index while she was on the run, they helped Touma take care of her both during and after the time she was pursued. When Touma was recruited to infiltrate Miswa Prep School, they provided support that guided Touma through the figurative dungeon. When Therestina Kihara Lifeline had powerful Espers like Mikoto and Kuroko under her thumb, it was the Level 0 that saved them so they could survive long enough for Touma to arrive and lend his aid. Time and time again, these friends the Railgun and Imagine Breaker shared have been of great help.

And what do the Level 5 and Level 0 do? They continue to keep them out of the loop if things appear to get hairy and the rest of their friends don't know. After discovering Project Level 6 Shift, Mikoto kept to herself as to not worry her friends, further isolating herself as she learned more about the project and faced greater threats. It took Touma forcing his way in for her to accept any help from anyone. Meanwhile, the friends they sought to not worry only worried more because of how secluded and secretive the two of them were being. When Touma first learned about how much danger Index was really in, he attempted to handle the situation by himself, only letting the girls help after he was careless enough to get caught sneaking Index away. Even then, he continued to withhold information from them until he was interrogated.

Was it really right to leave them out of the loop? Was it right to betray their trust and not tell them when something was happening? Were Touma and Mikoto really protecting their friends from danger by keeping these things a secret, or were they only hurting their friends themselves? These were the questions that passed through the pairs minds as they spoke with Kongou on the phone.

"Yeah, you're right," Touma finally answered for the pair.

" _Glad to know you agree_ ," Kongou cheered triumphantly.

"Well, we better get going," Mikoto said, a hit of melancholy in her voice, "We'll talk to you later, Kongou."

Hanging up the phone, Touma and Mikoto sat in silence on the stairs until Kuroko showed up, strangely not acting suspicious of the fact that the pair was all by themselves. She merely asked if Mikoto was ready to go home, leaving Touma all by himself to return to his own home.

As he made his way home, Touma couldn't help but think about what Kongou had said on the phone. Thinking back to the things he wrote down in her journal, he always had a history of helping people in need, even before he joined Judgement. When face with someone else's problem, he always made it his mission to take on the burden himself and ease their pain. It was a fundamental part of who Touma Kamijou was that was not affected by a lack of memories.

Even if he now regularly worked collaboratively with others to help people, he would always do what he could to keep people uninvolved if he could help it. In the case of Judgement work, other people usually were aware of the problems before he was, so he had no choice but to let them help. But in private affairs like the Sisters incident, he would keep secrets, only letting people know what they needed to so they would give him the information he needed.

Some people would argue that this methodology was morally questionable at best, morally wrong at worst. He essentially exploited the good will of his friends and allies where were willing to help but continued to shut them out of the actual conflict, making them nothing more than tools for Touma to reach a certain end. Like Kongou said, friends are hurt when they are left out of the loop. If he really wanted to not leave anyone to suffer, was this really the best way to go about it?

* * *

When Touma arrived home, he was given a warm welcome by his sister, who had been home since leaving the hospital. She sat in the living room with a laptop on the short table and had a small earpiece attached to her right ear. Upon seeing her brother return home, Shizuri quickly closed her laptop and removed her earpiece to greet him.

"I'm home," Touma called out as he walked in.

"Welcome home," Shizuri greeted, "You're certainly home early. I thought you would have had more Judgement work to worry about."

"Just taking a bit of a break," Touma replied, stepping into the kitchen, "I'm planning on making so tea to help calm my nerves a bit. You want me to get you anything?"

"Just give me whatever you're having," the Level 5 answered, moving her laptop off to the side and out of mind.

After a few minutes, Touma returned to the main living space with two cups of green tea, one for Shizuri and one for himself. Handing his sister her cup, Touma sat down on the couch next to her, silently taking a sip of his own drink. When he did, Shizuri couldn't help but notice how distant Touma seemed. It was as if something was bothering him clouding his mind and making his judgement fuzzy. Just as any caring older sister worth her salt, the elder Kamijou took it upon herself to investigate Touma's predicament.

"Something bothering you?" Shizuri inquired, "You seem distracted."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Touma put his cup of tea down on the short table. For a moment, he avoided eye contact, as if contemplating about how to respond.

"Can I ask you something?" Touma finally replied, "When you started working in Academy City's underworld, did you ever think to drag anyone in with you when needed help with something?"

"Why do you want to know that?" Shizuri asked in response, not entirely comfortable with where the conversation was going.

"Humor me."

Putting down her own cup of tea, Shizuri crouched down in her seat, supporting her chin on hands while her elbows rested on her knees.

"I can't say I have," Shizuri admitted truthfully, "I've never been one to ask for help on jobs and the like. It's a massive blow to my pride as a Level 5 to need help dealing with threats that should be beneath me. Besides, there's no reason to drag someone else into a problem if it has nothing to do with them."

"But what about people who leapt into the darkness of their own accord?" Touma asked, "Surely you've made some sort of friends over the last couple of years. At least some of them had to have wanted to help you at some point."

The image of fellow ITEM members Kinuhata, Takitsubo, and Frenda flashed through Shizuri's mind as Touma asked his question.

"Well, it's true that I have coworkers that help on jobs. I'd even be willing to call them friends," Shizuri admitted, "Ultimately, it was their choice to get involved in the underworld, just like it was with me. I never bothered to try to stop them. If they thought they could handle themselves, then that's all that was needed."

"Is that so?" Touma mused, his eyes downcast on the short table.

Noticing her brother's eyes drop, Shizuri reached out a hand and playfully tousled his spikey hair. Snapping out of his trace, Touma sat up straight and lightly swatted his sister's hand away, clearly not amused by her messing with his unique style. Now sure she had his attention, the elder Kamijou placed a reassuring hand on her brother's shoulder and flashed him a warm smile.

"Listen. Whatever you're dealing with, I'm sure it will turn out alright," she said soothingly, "While I might not be the biggest fan of your choice of friends, I can see that they are reliable people. If you really think they should know about whatever your dealing with, you should tell them. Let them know what your up against and let them decide whether they want to get involved. Ultimately, it's up to them to decide. I'm here too if you need me."

Despite himself, Touma couldn't help but crake a smile at his sister's words. It was clear that they held truth to them. Walking into the darkness was a choice. If they really were willing to do so and thought they were ready, they would agree to help. If not, then they would stay out of the fight with no shame at all. All he could really do was hope they made the right choice. Not just for the sake of Febri, Mikoto, and himself, but for themselves as well.

"Yeah, you're right, Sis," Touma agreed, "Thanks. I needed that."

"Glad to hear it," Shizuri replied, tousling her brother's hair again, much to his annoyance.

"Quit it!" Touma complained, swatting Shizuri's hand off his head again, "Where did this hair tousling come from, anyway? You never did this when I was a kid!"

"What can I say? I have a whole decade of doting I need to catch up on," Shizuri giggled.

"Whatever. I need to make a call," Touma said in a huff, heading for his room, but stopping just before opening the door, "If you want… we can visit Asunaro Park some time. I think Miss Shigenomori would be happy to see you after all these years. We can go once I have all this sorted out."

"… I'd like that," Shizuri replied warmly.

Receiving his answers, Touma retreated to the security of his room. Once inside, he pulled out his cell phone and immediately dialed up Mikoto. While waiting for her to pick up, the high school boy dug into his desk draws before finding a peculiar little good luck charm. It was the four leafed clover he had received during the early stages of his investigation of Project Level 6 Shift, now enclosed and protected in a handcrafted plastic pendant. His first big break through in the Sister's incident came just after he received the lucky charm, so maybe keeping it on him in the protective case will help.

Soon after digging up the pendant, Mikoto finally picked up the phone.

" _Hello?_ " she said on the other end of the line.

"Hey Mikoto. It's Touma," the Level 0 replied, slipping the pendant around his neck and tucking it under his shirt, "Listen, I've been giving it a lot of thought and…"

" _You think we should tell the others?_ "

"… You too, huh?" Touma chuckled.

" _Seems so_ ," Mikoto mused, " _How soon can you get to Saten's dorm?_ "

* * *

As soon as everyone had gathered at Saten's dorm, Touma and Mikoto told them everything regarding Febri's situation while the little girl was taking a nap. They told their friends of her origins, the biological failsafe, and the scope of the threat that they faced. They of course omitted all details relating to Shizuri's own involvement in the Underworld, feeling that it would not be right to expose her like that. Naturally, the likes of Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Index were more than a little put off by the revelation.

"That's just awful!" Index cried.

"Imagine if your life depended on eating a lollipop," Uiharu mused sadly.

"Whoever made her in the first place, is it possible that they created that dependence intentionally?" Kuroko inquired.

"Most likely," Mikoto replied, "Based on what we know, it's a failsafe to either make sure that Febri doesn't stray too far away from her creators or to keep their research from falling into the hands of other parties."

"They're beyond Anti-Skill's control?" Saten asked in disbelief, "Organizations like that really exist."

"Yes," Touma nodded, knowing all too well that this was the truth, "They're out there, and they can be dangerous."

"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Kuroko inquired.

"It's possible," Mikoto admitted, "I got into it this one time where I got into it with some people who I think the Underworld. And they were extremely dangerous."

"We knew you would want to help, but we wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into before you made a decision," Touma added, "You don't have to help us if you don't think you can take the risks. There's no shame in saying no. Don't put yourself out if you don't think you can handle it. We'd rather take the brunt of the burden ourselves while you're safe on the sidelines than have you take a burden you can't hold."

"We can't be certain how well we can protect you," Mikoto continued, "So, if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to back ou-"

"First up, we need to find some way to track down the people who created Febri," Uiharu said to the rest of the group, already ignoring all of Mikoto and Touma's attempts to get them to back down.

"Kongou got a good look at that guys, so we know what at least one of them looks like, right?" Saten pointed out.

"That's a good point," Uiharu agreed, "Let's fill her in and see if she will help too. We should check the places that we were attacked to see if we can find any leads there."

"It's entirely possible that the security cameras weren't working because of the construction," Kuroko pointed out.

"I'll check to see if there are any signs of a system break in," Uiharu offered.

"I'll help out too," Index joined in, "I know that I might not understand a lot about the science of Academy City, but my Photographic Memory should make spotting small, overlooked details much quicker and effective."

"Are you sure, Index?" Kuroko asked, "This is a Science Side affair. You don't have to get involved if you don't want to."

"I want to though!" Index declared, "I'm always being left out of the loop while all of you are putting yourselves in danger. You've all done so much for me, so I want to be able to do something for all of you!"

"If that's what you want," Kuroko conceded.

"We can't forget that Febri needs those lollipops to stay healthy," Saten added, "I wonder if there might be some way that we can create them ourselves.

"Good thinking, Saten. Think you could look into that?" Uiharu requested.

"We still need to investigate those Powered Suits that attacked us," Kuroko added, "I'll check with Anti-Skill to see if they managed to figure anything out yet."

Touma and Mikoto could barely believe what they were seeing. After everything they told their friends, the four girls in front of them were still willing to lend a hand in facing this potential threat. Touma had always been a firm believer that it was natural for someone to help another person in need, but he also knew that people had limit to how far they would go to help. His own limit was just drastically higher up the scale than most people's. Mikoto was almost at the point of tears, unbelievably grateful to have such loyal and caring friends.

"You two have been awfully quiet," Index noted, shaking the Level 5 and Level 0 from their thoughts.

"We could really use your help in planning out our next move," Saten added.

"The two of you seem to be the most informed about all this," Uiharu pointed out, "If you have any more information that may be useful, please do share."

"it would be best if we act now before the enemy has another chance to have a go at us," Kuroko recommended.

Ever grateful for their friends' help, Touma and Mikoto each took a seat at the short table with their friends, plans already underway.

* * *

The next day, the group got straight to work investigating the mysterious group that created Febri. In the 177th Judgement Branch office, Uiharu was busy typing away at her computer, searching for any signs of intrusion within Academy City's networks. Index sat close behind her, acting as a sort of archive and making sure no details were missed. Off to the side, Konori kept Febri occupied, entertaining her in any way she could. Soon enough, Saten came be to report her findings regarding the lollipops, a search that ultimately proved fruitless.

After conversing with Heaven Canceller, she was told that finding the individual components of the candy and the reproducing the formula would be nearly impossible. After, chemistry is a complicated subject. Even with Academy City's hyper advanced technology, determining all of the base of the lollipops would certainly be a difficult task. Not only that, isolating the compounds that acted as the antitoxin from the compounds that composed the candy medium would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if they weren't even sure what the antitoxin was. Even if they could isolate the antitoxin, reverse engineering the formula would be nearly impossible since there could have been a multitude of chemical reactions that led to the antitoxin's creation, along with several catalysts and byproducts. Even for the greatest doctor in the world, that would surely be a hefty task.

"Oh, that's a shame," Uiharu sighed.

"Chemistry must be a really complicated science, huh?" Index mused.

"He did say he would stay in touch if he found anything, though. Honestly, I'm not sure how much faith I have in that guy," Saten admitted, stretching her cheeks, "I doctor just shouldn't look like Gekota."

"Come on, don't be like that, Saten," Uiharu reprimanded.

"Well, I have absolute faith in him," Index cheered confidently, "After everything Touma has be put through and how well he heals afterwards, I'm sure that doctor is the best the world has to offer."

"Well, I can't deny that," Saten said through a humorless laugh.

* * *

Across town, Touma, Mikoto, and Kuroko where all taking care of another portion of their investigation. They had all gathered at the nearby Anti-Skill office and got in contact with one Yomikawa to see if they could get access to the Powered Suits that attacked them. Unfortunately, Anti-Skill headquarters had taken full custody of the investigation regarding the Powered Suit attacks, including all evidence pertaining to it that morning. In addition, the haywire Security Robots from the Reach Assembly were also taken, all but confirming the student's suspicions that the two incidences were connected in some way.

"I did get a preliminary look at what little investigation has been done so far, but there's not much in terms of results," Yomikawa explained, pulling up a file on her laptop, "Both suits were a patchwork of unregistered parts with no solid leads on their footprints."

"Rotten luck," Touma sighed, "So much for that lead."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, is there," Kuroko lamented.

"Well, there is one thing I can do for you," the Anti-Skill chief said, reaching into her desk.

A second later, she pulled out two capsules of some sort. They were rectangular and made with a tinted pink glass at tipped with a bronze alloy of some sort. Inside each of them a single thread about a few centimeters long and as thin as a hair.

"What are those?" Mikoto asked, taking the capsules out of the teacher's hands.

"They were lying inside of the Powered Suits, one in each of them," Yomikawa explained, "I want you to take them. Who knows, they might be some kind of lead."

"Are you sure about this?" Kuroko asked, not sure if they should be receiving this kind of evidence.

"If they're going to be taken out of my hands anyway, I don't care if you or HQ have it. That said," the teacher declared, "Don't do anything stupid."

* * *

Back at the 177th Judgement Branch Office, the three oldest members of the group presented the recently recovered capsules to their friends. No one for the life of them could determine what the capsules were or what purpose they served. They certainly didn't appear to have a mechanical purpose, lacking any moving parts or way of supply power. As far as anyone could tell from a glance, they were just containers with threads inside.

"They carted off every other piece of evidence," Mikoto pointed out, "What good are these."

"The timing is very strange," Kuroko mused, "I almost wonder is someone is putting pressure on Anti-Skill."

"You mean like that shadowy organization Misaka was talking about?" Saten inquired.

"That would certainly be a possibility," Touma pondered, "Still, with no clear idea of who they are, I can't say we have much ground to stand on in that front."

"Think hard, Febri," Saten begged, "Is there anything you can remember about these people, even the smallest detail."

The little girl only shook her head in disappointment.

"What about the surveillance cameras?" Mikoto asked, "Did you find anything on that front."

"No luck there," Uiharu sighed, dejected, "Right around the time it happened, the cameras all went dark. Every one of the cameras showed an operational failure."

"Are you sure you check all of them?" Touma asked for confirmation.

"Mhm," Uiharu nodded, "None of the camera where working during either attack. They all suffered from interference."

"That makes sense when you think about it," Saten mused, "None of our phones were working."

"Same thing with my ODD. I couldn't even get the thing to deploy," Touma agreed, "Whatever the case, something in the area of both attacks was messing with wireless communication."

"I think I might have an idea of what was causing it," Index added, "Just before the camera's went dead, there I noticed a black van with tinted windows parked just barely in view. When the cameras came back up, the van pulled away shortly after. This was the case for both Mikoto and Touma's attacks."

"You think those vans might have something to do with the interference?" Touma inquired.

"Maybe. Not only that, but there was some traffic light trouble not too far away from both attacks as well," Uiharu added.

"You mean like those traffic lights Konori asked us to help with that one time?" Kuroko asked.

"You think they those incidences might be connected somehow?" Saten suggested.

"Not necessarily, but it's possible," Uiharu agreed.

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to track down a little girl," Mikoto msued.

"I don't think that's they're objective at all," Touma countered, "At least, not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Kuroko asked.

"Think about it. If they were just after Febri, why would the send a Powered Suit to me if they knew I was nowhere near Febri at the time," Touma argued.

"That's a good point," Uiharu agreed, "Seems like a waste of resources to send a Powered Suit to attack someone with nothing to take from them, especially when it only gets demolished afterwards."

"Not only that, but Mikoto and I aren't this group's only targets," Touma growled, "Apparently, my sister has been attacked by droves of empty Powered Suits for the last couple of days now."

"Wait, seriously? Your sister too?" Saten asked in shock.

"Yeah," Touma said in a low voice, "She keeps melting them into scrap metal, but they just keep coming. It's almost like they're trying to test her or something."

"But where does that leave you?" Kuroko pointed out, "Sissy and your sister I can understand since they're both Level 5s, so they would naturally want to collect data on them. But you're a Level 0. No researcher in their right mind put resources into testing someone without an Esper Ability to test."

"But Touma does have an ability," Index countered, "It's just not an Esper Ability."

At that moment, the entire room feel into silence. Everyone present could only focus on the right hand of Touma Kamijou, the hand that held the power known as Imagine Breaker.

"Do you really think that they know about Imagine Breaker?" Touma asked, clutching his right hand in front of his face.

"Well, you have been gaining a lot more popularity in the Academy City rumor mill," Saten pointed out, "A Certain Strange Addition to Judgement, The Boy Who Defeats Level 5s with only his Right Hand, The Illusion Killer, The Anti-Esper, these are just some of the new rumors I've seen gain popularity online as of late, and all if them undeniably refer to you, Kamijou."

"But those are just rumors. Surely no researcher worth his salt is going to put research into something as unfounded as that," Touma argued, "Plus, how would they even connect it back to me anyway? One of the main reasons a lot of these rumor are unconfirmed by the general populous is because no one could ever pin a name on who the person in the rumors is."

"Still, most rumors have at least a hit of truth in them, as you are living proof of, and there is sure to be enough common threads in the stories to find those truths," Mikoto argue, "It's an improbably theory, but not a totally baseless one."

Before Touma could try to push the argument further, Mikoto received a call from Kongou. According to the fellow Tokiwodai student, she and her friends had been unable to come up with any leads by following the footprints of the man at the Reach Assembly. However, she promised to see what she could find on her end regarding the Powered Suits as the Kongou family had research divisions in Academy City relating to the technology.

As soon as Mikoto hung up, Kuroko instantly jumped in a frenzy, clearly not happy with the idea that Mitsuko Kongou could out do in her an investigation such as this. While her roommate was further encouraging the rest of their friends to work harder, Mikoto herself had an epiphany regarding the case. Even now, they still didn't know how Febri knew her name. If Shinobu Nunotaba really was responsible for programming Febri's mind and helping her escape, could it be that Nunotaba gave her Mikoto's name, and if so, why?

* * *

After the group broke up again to conduct their own individual investigations, Touma tagged along with Mikoto in her investigation of the missing Shinobu Nunotaba, as he was the only other person among the group that was aware of the high school researcher's potential involvement. Unfortunately, their search bore little fruit. All they were able to learn was the fact that she had been expelled from Nagatenjouki Academy and all other traces of her disappeared after that. This left the pair with only one other avenue to investigate.

Taking the two capsules to Heaven Canceller, the two students acted him to look into them to see if there was anything of interest about them. Needless to say, those capsules were more than a little interesting.

"I've performed an analysis on the fibers from the capsules you brought me, and interestingly enough, it seems to be made from the exact same components as those that compose the girl Febri's body," the doctor explained from his computer, "To put it simply, these are hairs."

"Hair? So they're some of Febri's?" Touma asked, not entirely sure where his doctor was going with the conversation.

"No," the doctor replied, "These belong to another individual."

'Could these hairs belong to her sister?' Mikoto though to herself.

"Actually, I'm glad you came by," the doctor said, getting out of his seat, "I've taken a closer look at the number candies that young Febri has that neutralize the toxins in her body. I believe her situation is more urgent than I initially anticipated."

"Urgent? How?!" Mikoto demanded.

"Roughly 72 hours," the frog faced doctor said solemnly, "That is how long her current store will last. Once they are all gone, she will die."

"That can't be," Touma growled, clutching his fist, "Come on doc! There's got to be something you can do?!"

"Like I told you both before, if there is anyone who can save the girl, it's the one who made her," Heaven Canceller answered, "I'm afraid they are you only hope now."

Unable to accept such a fate for the young girl, Mikoto started to storm off, only to be stopped by Touma grabbing her wrist.

"Wait, Mikoto! What do you think you're doing?!" Touma demanded.

"What does it look like?! I'm going to go and look everyone I can to find the monsters that did this and make them answer for what they did!" Mikoto yelled.

"We don't even know where to start!" Touma pulled back, "Shizuri was our only solid connection to the underworld and she already made it clear she wasn't going to share anything with us even if she could! You can't just go searching blindly like this!"

"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Mikoto cried, on the verge of tears, "We have no leads and everything we come across so far has lead to nothing but dead ends! If we don't figure something soon, Febri dies! Is that really what you want?!"

"Of course not…," Touma whispered, loosening his grip on the girl's wrist, "But…"

"I will as you again," the doctor butt in, "Are you ready to face the darkness at the heart of his city."

Both students slowly turned towards the doctor, confused as to why he was bringing up the question from the other day yet again.

"It will be dangerous, and you can very well be hurt yourself," the doctor continued, "I already know Kamijou's answer, but what about your's, Railgun?"

"…Of course," Mikoto reply after a moment with new found determination, "If it's to save her, I'll do whatever it takes. Besides, I have this Touma here to watch my back this time. I know him, and he never lets anyone else get hurt if he can help it."

Seeing how determined the girl was now, Heaven Canceller saw no reason to hold back any more resources.

"As I'm sure both of you are aware of now, the quickest way to learn about the underworld is to speak to someone who has connections within it," the doctor explained, "Seeing as you're primary connection in Shizuri Kamijou has been unwilling to cooperate in sharing information with you, I will arrange a meeting. However, there is something you should be aware of before you go. The person with whom you are meeting is someone who you are already well acquainted with."

* * *

Deep within a maximum security prison, Touma and Mikoto made their way through the dark and dreary halls towards the cell of their new informant. As part of the meeting that Heaven Canceller had set up for them, Touma was present as a Judgement Officer acting as a bodyguard for the civilian Mikoto. As such, Touma had his ODD drawn and ready in shock pike mode in case the meeting when ugly. Given who exactly they were meeting with, it was certainly a possibility.

Soon enough, the Level 0 and Level 5 were faced with the cell of their informant and old acquaintance. The cell had the only source of light within a couple meters and was plated with solid steel on all sides. The front of the cell was made of an assortment of crooked bars that made for a disorganized web of cold metal, as if to reflect the mental state of the cell's occupant. Sitting in the middle of the cell was its sole occupant, the mad woman known as Therestina Kihara Lifeline.

"Long time no see, huh?" the mad scientist greeted in an obviously fake sweetness, "How I've missed you, my little lab rats."

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"We're back at the bottom of the chapter!" the man brandishing the reality warping sword cried at the top of his lungs, "Welcome back to the Animan Temple! As always, I'm your host, Animan von Elysium X!"**

 **"And I am Priestess Number 1, Aisa Himegami." the shrine maiden with the hime cut said with a bow, "A pleasure as always."**

 **"So, Himegami, what were your thoughts on this chapter?" Animan asked with begging eyes, "Was is good? Did you feel any emotional turmoil for Touma and Mikoto regarding their positions? Did you laugh at some of the absurdity they got pulled into along the way?"**

 **"I've seen worse," the girl replied flatly.**

 **"She's seen worse!" the master of the temple yelled happily, swing his sword over his head in a wild fashion.**

 **"It certainly doesn't take much to make you happy, does it master?" Himegami deadpanned, skillfully dodging the widely swinging sword as if it were a regular occurrence.**

 **"Well, that's all we have for now!" Animan announced, planting the tip of Mugen into the ground, "We'll see you all next time with the next chapter, 'Unheard Voices'."**

 **"See you all next time," Himegami said with a bow.**


	48. Unheard Voices

**Hey everyone! I'm back after over two months! Did you miss me?**

 ***crickets chriping***

 **Wow, no tough crowd. Sorry it took long to put out an update. I was hit with a serious case of writer's block while working on another project, and then hit with butt loads of college work, so I didn't have a lot of time to write. But that's all behind me now, so I can spend my free time this summer writing for all of you! So now, let's get these reviews answered so you can get to the new chapter!**

 _5waydragon: I can't say much, but I am planning on saving Frenda. How exactly it happens and what follows afterwards is being kept a secret for now. Of course, that's a looooooong time away. I don't think I have to worry about OCs right now, considering I only have a single OC in this story, and a pretty minor one._

 _Herox100: Glad you love the occasional use of music. I'd love to do it more often, especially with how amazing the Toaru soundtrack is, but I have trouble finding just the right song at times. Oh, I'm well aware of how useful Index's photographic memory can be. Don't worry, her own illiteracy with technology isn't going hinder her usefulness in this case. I have just the method to get around that._

 _OnePunchPlayer: Those are fun words. Good choice! Three Stories Arc will be coming soon enough, but not before an original arc I have planned. For Mikoto's portion of the Three Stories Arc, she's getting an upgrade from fake date to first real date._

 _ahsoei: This one's going to be another longer one. Starting to think I'm dealing with serial escalation here._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad you thought it was acceptable. Sadly, my reluctance to let things stray too far away from canon at this point has left little room to spice things up outside of additional character interactions. Currently trying to improve on that front, especially in this chapter. Particularly, I'm trying to fix what seems to be one of the biggest problems people had with this arc in the anime is that people didn't seem to care very much for the antagonists and just saw them as nuisances. With any luck, I'll be able to rectify that._

 _ARandomFanfictionAuthor: Technically, Touma's group already has a name, the Kamijou Faction. Of course, it status as an organization as always been unofficial. No plans to give it a name made from all capital letters any times soon, but maybe later. Much later._

 _mohamadstar94: I'll be sure to work on my word choice._

 _fencer29: Well, this franchise has always been about the moral gray area; no one member of the cast; almost no one in the story is a totally solid shade of black or while on the morality scale. Heck, one could say that Touma isn't even on the morality scale. Well, the Sisters are being given the chance to live "normal lives". Them developing more into normal human behavior._

 _ultron emperor: Accelerator will appear soon enough. Give or take a couple of chapters. He is listed as a main character._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you for the kind words!_

 _GhostlyStranger: Hey, Touma's luck in a constant neutral stat, i.e. he is under the constant influence of Murphy's Law._

 _Berix: Thanks for pointing out all those spelling errors. Trying to get better at that, but no one's perfect. Glad you liked the chapter._

 _RedSS: In my defense, that's just in line with Touma's character. He's not one to let something like danger stop him from accomplishing his goals. To my knowledge, the only times he's really hesitated to take action was when someone points out the moral ambiguity of his own actions (Fiamma pointing out how he was lying to Index about his memory lose to protect her) and when someone outclasses him outright in everything he does and makes his existence seem worthless (Othinus creating World Omega). Touma has always been an optimist, or at least fakes it when faced with someone that needs help. I will say that you are right in that me blaming the source material is just a weak excuse. I'm the one trying to make this arc more enjoyable, so I'm to blame if it doesn't pan out like I want it to._

 _LegallyRestricted: Short answer for both questions, not long at all. Long answer for both questions, the entirety of OT takes place over a couple of months, which isn't really a long time to begin with. Touma's already trekked through Academy City's Dark Side plenty of times. As for Shizuri finding out about magic, there is an arc coming up that would make for a perfect family vacation that quickly goes off the deep end. While Index doesn't have anything physically keeping her from using the Grimoires at this point, she chooses not to use them as to not give the church a reason to take her away from Academy City. After all, she has the potential to become a Magic God because of all those books. Best not to give the church a reason to fear you and act prematurely._

 _Anycartoon123 (Guest): You'll just have to wait and see what I have in story for the finale of this arc. Only two chapters away after this one. I can't say much for Touma and Mikoto's relationship status at this point, but I can say they would have gone on at least a couple of dates by the time the Daihasei rolls around._

 _Generation Zero: I'm just doing what I feel would be a natural progression of the arc given the character relationships I've build so far. I will admit, the villains aren't too different in how competent they are then how they were in the anime. Really, I don't think the issue was competence, but likability. Looking at the comments of their respective wikia articles, the members of ITEM are highly disliked as people, so my main goal at this point is to better flesh out their characters and better sell their backstories as underappreciated geniuses so their attack feels less like a tantrum and more like a rebellion against the status quo. This arc will have ramifications in the future of the story, just not a big as you might like._

 _Percyfan1998: I will admit that the Silent Party was played up a bit too much as a city threat. Really, the arc should have focused more on the realistic consequences of having a city of science that is capable of manufacturing fantasy, that being that the actual act of scientific research is forgotten in the pubic eye in favor of the fantastical results they produce. I will try to have this arc have lasting effects so that it actually matters. I actually have certain plans in effect right now that will result in this._

 _Guest13 (Guest): Indeed, Touma is very cool. Well, he's got going to attack Therestina for no reason, but he will attack her, I can guarantee that._

 _Healthcare: Glad you liked the chapter. That's the thing about this arc; it explored a lot of parts of Academy City that aren't normally touched upon, but it fell flat in actually making you care. I aim to rectify that. Thanks for being so understanding with the massive amounts of time this took._

 _Kami (Guest): I just really wanted to bring all the characters I had at my disposal in for this._

 _Kim454 (Guest): Honestly, the thought slipped my mind._

 _Isokage (Guest): I am well aware of the upcoming anime seasons. I keep up to date on that stuff. I'm glad you like the story so much. There are plans for the rest of the gang to learn about the Sisters, just not quite yet. Sorry to keep you waiting._

 _O (Guest): Sorry to keep you waiting._

 _YeetusFetus (Guest): Sorry to keep you waiting. I can't exactly take credit for the cliffhangers; that's just how they play out in the anime, for most of them anyway._

 _mohamadstar94: Sorry to keep you waiting. I am well aware of the new anime seasons coming out._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Glad you like the story. Don't worry, I am quite familiar with the timeline. I may be mostly an anime fan, but I do keep up to date with the rest of the fandom. You sir actually gave me plenty of inspiration with this one review._

 _Ryder (Guest): Don't worry, I'm not planning anything crazy like that. Besides, I'm way to far away from those events to even consider waiting for the anime releases to use as a base._

 _jonathanblade00: Thank you so much for the kind words and patience._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: Well, this story is very much a "in spite of a nail" situation. At least at this point. Trust me when I say future events will spiral in some pretty radical ways much later down the line. Not many people can resist the Kamijou charm once they see it in action._

 **Well, that took a while. No more waiting! Disclaimer! Story! Boom!**

 **Dis** **claimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 48: Unheard Voices

Finally having some time off, the field members of ITEM were relaxing by a luxury pool, one of the many recreational facilities that they had exclusive access to thanks to their underground connections with the higher ups. Everyone was enjoying the cool waters of the pool in one way or another, be it swimming laps or floating like a corpse. Everyone but Shizuri, who was relaxing in a lawn chair before receiving a call on her cell phone. It was ITEM's Liaison, the person responsible for the finer details regarding the organization's operations.

"What do you need?" Shizuri asked once she picked up the phone.

" _We have another job for you. It's another request from the group that had been giving use those dud jobs recently_ ," the liaison answered.

"Did you do what I asked in the event they contacted us again?" the Level 5 inquired.

" _We are investigating them as we speak_ ," the faceless voice replied, " _However, we still need you and the rest of the field agents to take the job as to not arouse suspicion towards us. We need this mysterious client to believe we still don't see what they're doing. You will be paid for the trouble, of course._ "

"You better hope that this investigation actually goes somewhere," Shizuri threatened.

" _You seem awfully intent of discovering who this client is_ ," the liaison noted, " _I understand you were pissed about being tricked, but this is beyond how you normally react._ "

"Let's just say this mystery client got a bit too personal."

" _Your brother, Touma Kamijou_ ," the liaison deduced, " _He got roped into all this, didn't he? You know, you making contact with him again was not part of the deal when you were given that special training and made the head of ITEM's field team._ "

"So was you giving me accurate information, but here we are now," Shizuri snarked, "Just give me the details on this job."

" _Same story, new setting. A supposed arms deal in a factory in District 17 scheduled for tomorrow morning. Overnight preparations are advised_ ," the liaison answered.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the Level 5 said as she hung up.

"What's the call about? More work?" Frenda asked, getting out of the pool.

"Yup, though I can't say I'm too excited about it," Shizuri said, getting out of her chair, "Hope you ladies are ready to work up a sweat."

'Just you wait, you sons of bitches," Shizuri growled in her head, 'When I find you, I'm going to make you pay for messing with my family.'

* * *

Sitting behind bars before Touma and Mikoto was a most deplorable individual. A woman so twisted in her devotion to her research and the quest to create a Level 6 Esper that she views the people of Academy City as nothing more than lab rats. A woman who has caused untold suffering for dozens if not hundreds of people. The lead researcher in the Ability Crystal Project, Therestina Kihara Lifeline.

"Your face is looking more grown up these days, Railgun," the mad scientist mused, "You've seen your fill of darkness yet? Has this city made you jaded? So how did it happen? Something hit too close to home and you investigated. You went seeking the source and you found darkness."

Mikoto dipped her head and closed her eyes, silently confirming the prisoner's deduction.

"Then, at long last, you realized that what I said was correct all along," Therestina chimed triumphantly, "Academy City is one big test site, and all the students inside it are lab rats. Well? What did you come to ask? Or did you come here seeking the comfort of someone who knows the truth as well?"

"I want to help a friend. To save her," Mikoto replied, earning her a confused and baffled look from Therestina.

Reaching into her pocket, Mikoto pulled out the two capsules they retrieved from the Powered Suits that attacked her and Touma.

"Her name is Febri," Mikoto explained further, "She's a little girl who was artificially created. If we do nothing, she is going to die within 72 hours. We're here for her sake."

"Our investigation has told us that an underground organization was responsible for creating her," Touma added, "Given your connections, we thought you might know something."

"Oh, come on, don't you learn?" the mad scientist said in exasperation, getting up from her chair, "What is it going to take? You got a whole heap of your own clones and you still get all mushy over a little girl you barely even know? This girl, whatever her name is, she's just one more lab rat spawned by this city! You want to survive in this town? Give into the darkness and become livestock or become one of the people in charge, because those are the only two options in this place!"

"Then what does that make you?" Touma challenged, raising his ODD higher, "Here you are, trapped in a cage, being threatened by a high school boy with a shock prod. That's a pretty textbook example of livestock, wouldn't you say?"

"Please, you're the last thing I'd feel threatened by, Mister Judgement Dog," Therestina snapped, clinging on to the bars of her cage.

"Besides, your wrong," Mikoto replied, "I've seen it. I know the darkness you're talking about. At first, I felt lost and hopeless. Desperate and destructive. But you know, it was the people I met in Academy City that wound up saving me from myself. I'm not alone. I have group of friends that are dear to me, and if it weren't for the city, I wouldn't have met any of them. There are a lot of things that disgust me about this place, but even so, I can't bring myself to hate it like you do."

Therestina glared at the Level 5 with eyes full of hate and disappointment. She thought that after seeing the city for what it truly was, the Railgun would have come around to the truth, but it seems she was wrong. If Mikoto wasn't going to accept that the city was dog-eat-dog world, then Therestina had nothing she wanted to say to her. However, there was one person in the vicinity that intrigued her at the moment.

"And what about you?" the mad scientist asked Touma, "I've said an awful lot about the darkness just now, especially pertaining to your little girlfriend here. Yet for some reason, you don't seem the slightest bit phased. Most people would be pretty shaken upon hearing something like this."

"Maybe the first time they hear about it, sure," Touma shrugged, "You probably didn't know this, but that thing about Mikoto's clones getting killed? I was the one that put a stop to it. I was the person that lent out a hand and saved Mikoto from herself."

Therestina could hardly believe what she was hearing. This nobody, this little worthless Level 0 of a lab rat not even worth testing was responsible for the end of Project Level 6 Shift? She was well aware of the project's cancellation; even behind bars, getting information was rather easy. She even knew that the experiment was stopped because Accelerator was defeated by a Level 0, as ridiculous as it sounded. But to think that this unremarkable Level 0 of a Judgement Officer was the brat who did the deed was just unthinkable.

"I've heard enough," Therestina said as she turned around, "You can go now."

"We're not going anywhere," Touma declared, "Not until you tell us we came to learn."

"Who was it that created Febri?" Mikoto demanded.

"How should I know?" the mad scientist replied, brushing off the question.

"What is their objective? What is this?!" Mikoto continued to demand, holding up the hair capsules, "You must know! Please, tell us!"

"What if I lie?" Therestina proposed, "What possible motivation could I have for answering you honestly? The three of us have a history. Can you really believe what I say?"

"The answer's obvious, isn't it? Of course we'll believe you," Touma replied simply, "After all, we're backed into a corner with no real idea of where to go. Right now, you're our only option for answers."

"Is that so?" Therestina mused with a fake smile, approaching the cage bars once again, "Railgun, hold out your hand."

Pulling out her signature tube of candy, Therestina dropped a single piece of chocolate into Mikoto's open hand.

"Well, aren't you going to eat it?" the prisoner dared, "It's just ordinary chocolate, nothing sinister about it. What's the matter? Eat up. You believe me, right? I know your little boyfriend will go to any lengths to help someone and he looks like the kind of person that will trust anyone if he has no other option, but what about you?"

It was an obvious gambit. It was clear to everyone that the Kihara was just trying to prove a point: Mikoto was not the kind of person to put faith in someone she knew as evil. Touma was a special case, the kind of person who aimed to help his foes even if they had every reason to not be trusted. He was one in a million, really. But Mikoto couldn't stoop to Touma's level, or so Therestina though.

The Therestina's surprise and Touma's pride, Mikoto ate the piece of chocolate without skipping a beat, her resolve clear.

"I said I'd believe you, didn't I?" Mikoto replied, causing the prisoner to grit her teeth in frustration.

"Go away," Therestina huffed, turning away.

"We're staying!" Mikoto yelled defiantly, "Now tell us about Febri!"

"You're wasting your time," Therestina replied, turning her chair so it faced away form the bars, "I don't have anything I want to say to you."

"We're going anywhere until you answer!" the Level 5 demanded again.

"No thanks, I'm done talking," the redhead prisoner replied as she sat down.

"Tell us about Febri!" Mikoto begged, "Please! What do you have to lose trapped in here?!"

"Guh, you are such a pain!" Therestina snapped, munching on a piece of candy in anger.

The two students outsider her cell irritated Therestina to no end. They naïvely believed that they could fight the darkness of Academy City like they could any other lowlife they found on the streets. They continuously refused to accept the truth and admit that Academy City was a place for those with power and everyone else was a steppingstone. All she wanted was for the two brats standing behind her to just leave. Unfortunately for her, the only way that was happening was to indulge their demands.

Either give them the answers the sought and the satisfaction of having their way with her or remain silent and have them continue to bother her as they struggled to get her to talk. One option meant they left and suffered as they tried to fight the city's darkness, the other option had the suffer trying to fight the city's darkness while making her suffer at the same time. It was a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. Much like deciding one's place in Academy City, both options resulted in someone suffering, but the lesser of two evils meant Therestina wouldn't be among those who suffered.

"Chemicaloid," Therestina finally admitted, "If I'm remembering correctly, that's what they called it."

"Called what?" Touma inquired, "You mean a Chemicaloid is what Febri is?"

"At the time, of course, it was all theoretical," Therestina explained, "But it seems those boys found some way to make it happen."

"These 'boys' are the ones that made Febri then?" Mikoto asked, "Then what was their objective?!"

"Humph, beats me," Therestina scoffed, "it's probably their elaborate way of getting their existence noticed."

"Getting noticed?" Touma mused.

"There's some kind of fancy event coming up, isn't there?" the mad scientist suggested.

"You can't mean…," Touma gasped in shock.

"The Reach Assembly!" Mikoto cried, "They had to artificially create a person just to get attention?! That doesn't make any…"

"Doesn't make any sense?" Therestina cut the Level 5 off, getting out of her chair and approaching the bars once again, "Hahaha! Oh yes, that's good! Spoken like a true Level 5! Don't you understand, little girl? Here in Academy City, you are one of the privileged elite. Pin on your Level 5 tag and even a pathetic lab rat like you will have plenty of 'dear friends' flocking eagerly to your side!"

As soon as she was by the bars of her cell, Therestina reached out and grabbed Mikoto by the collar of her shirt, roughly pulling the middle school girl face-to-face with her.

"Don't even pretend you understand the true darkness of those who lack even your status in this city," Therestina lectured, "At the end of the day, you know nothing, stupid brat."

Stunned by the sudden physical confrontation between the mad scientist and the Level 5, it took Touma a second before he could properly react. Seeing Mikoto being handled in such a rough manner, Touma wasted no time in hitting Therestina with his ODD in its shock prod mode. The sudden electrical shock forced the prisoner to let go of Mikoto and take a step back, but the Level 0 didn't give her the chance to retreat into her cell. Retracting his ODD, Touma reached into the cell bars and grabbed Therestina by the collar of her shirt and pulled her in face-to-face, turning the tables on her.

"You're the one that knows nothing," Touma growled, "You want to know how I first met Mikoto? She was a girl out late at night that I thought needed help. She was being hit on by a bunch of scruffy guys, so I thought I'd lend a hand and help get her away from them. I had no idea that she was a Level 5 and the time, and I would have done the same thing even if I did. I'll tell you right here and right now, I'd be more than happy to call her my friend if she didn't have the status she has now.

"Level 5, Accelerator, Meltdowner, Railgun. Those are nothing but titles! They're illusions of grandeur that supposedly make the people that hold them better than everyone else! Those titles mean nothing to me! To me, Accelerator is just Yuri Suzushina, my first and best friend! To me, Meltdowner is just Shizuri Kamijou, my loving older sister who goes to any and all lengths for me. To me, Railgun is just Mikoto Misaka, the girl that I tried to help and the first girl to ever confess to me! Don't even think about saying that titles are the only thing that gives them attention, because that's nothing but a load of crap! With or without those titles, they're people precious to me, so don't disgrace their value!"

"Ha! That's rich! Did I strike a nerve, lab rat? Didn't like me touching your little girlfriend?" Therestina laughed, "People precious to you? Do you even know who you're talking about, you little shit? Your 'best friend' is an experienced killer with the blood over ten thousand clones on his hands! Your 'loving older sister' is one of Academy City's most deadly hired guns! You of all people should know just how swamped in the darkness they are! They are the ones that can actually survive in this city! To them, you are just another rat to be left behind!"

"Here's the thing about darkness," Touma countered in a low voice, "No one choses to wander in it. They always are left with no choice but to do so and get lost in it. After Yuri and I were separated, he joined Project Level 6 Shift so he would be so strong that people would leave him alone and not fight him. When Shizuri and I were separated, she became a hired gun to make sure people like you don't exploit people like me and started losing herself because of it. The deeper you go, the darker it gets. But the thing about darkness is the more intense it is, the easier it becomes to see the light.

"I swear I will be that light. I will reach out and do what I can to save those precious to me from the darkness you say chokes this city. If you think that fighting the darkness the plagues Academy City is a futile battle, then I'll shatter that cursed illusion."

As Touma made his declaration of war against Academy City's darkness, Therestina couldn't help but notice the fire in his eyes. It was intense and unyielding, like the flames of a sun threatening to burn those that opposed it alive. The resolve that Touma displayed in that moment shook Therestina to her core. For someone to be that determined to accomplish a goal as far out of reach as fighting the darkness of Academy City just wasn't logical. For the first time in her life, Therestina Kihara Lifeline was faced with something she had no hopes of comprehending. For the first time in her life, she had felt fear.

"Touma," Mikoto said, tugging on the high school boy's sleeve, "That's enough, we're done here."

Looking over his shoulder, Touma saw Mikoto look at him with gentle but firm eyes. Silently agreeing with his friend, he gave Therestina one last glare before slowly letting go of her shirt and retracting his arm from the prison cell. Retreating back to Mikoto's side, the high school boy turned around started walking back the way they came in. The Railgun followed closely behind, once again leaving Therestina alone in her cell.

"You okay?" Mikoto asked her crush in concern, "You got a bit intense back there."

"I'm fine, don't worry about it," Touma insisted, "Let's just tell the others what we found out."

The pair continued to tread down the dark hallway, leaving Therestina far behind them. They remained silent, not having much to say about their recent discoveries. However, Mikoto broke that silence with a simple, almost unnecessary comment.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," she said in a near whisper, "Really, it means a lot to me to know you don't care about status like that."

Despite all the tension he had placed himself in just a minute ago, Touma couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Think nothing of it," he insisted, "Like I said, titles mean nothing. It the people that hold them that matter."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mikoto agreed, racing ahead, "Come on, let's get out of this gloomy place."

* * *

When the pair returned to the 117th Judgement Branch Office, they quickly reported everything they had learned that day during their investigation. Needless to say, everyone was quite shocked by the new information, including Febri's remaining lifespan based on the number of lollipops she had left. Seeing as the Reach Assembly was the anticipated target for Febri's creator's plans, Uiharu immediately started screening everyone involved in the event to see if she could find anyone of suspect. Index also aided in the search, using her photographic memory to help Uiharu cross-reference any and all information she may come across.

As the office's local computer expert and the living library got to work, the group was greeted with a surprise visit from a certain trio of Tokiwodai students.

"Good afternoon! How is everyone?" Kongou greeted as she, Wannai, and Awatsuki entered the office, "We brought something I think all of you will be excited about!"

"Really?! You mean you finally found a lead?!" Uiharu asked excitedly.

"Huh? Oh, no. No, we weren't," Kongou admitted sadly.

"We're really sorry," Wannai apologized, "We searched everywhere for that man, I swear. All throughout the city."

"But we weren't able to find anything worth mentioning," Awatsuki added, deflated.

"Don't be so hard on yourselves," Touma encouraged, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only the needle is constantly moving on its own."

"Never fear! Give us more time and I am sure we will find him!" Kongou declared, whipping out her fan, "Anyhow, we're here on other business today. We came because we have a little present for Febri."

"A present for me?" Febri asked in awe.

"Indeed! This is for you," Kongou said, placing a red clothing giftbox closed with red ribbons in the center of the coffee table.

"While we were scouring the city, we found the most adorable outfit," Wannai explained.

"When we saw it we thought, 'Wow, that sure would look cute on Febri!'" Awatsuki added.

"Yeah? Isn't that nice Febri? A new outfit just for you," Saten mused, encouraging the little girl to open the box, "Okay then, why don't we open it?"

Undoing the ribbons holding the box closed, Saten lifted up the lid to reveal a white gothic lolita dress accompanied by black ribbons.

"White Gothic Lolita, eh?" Touma mused, holding his chin and nodding to himself, "Excellent taste."

"Wow!" Febri sighed in awe, "That's for me?"

"Yes," Wannai replied softly.

"Mitsuko, Wanna, Atsuki, thanks so much!" Febri beamed, instantly making the three middle school girls blush with her intense cuteness.

"Think nothing of it!" Kongou insisted, "Anyone else would have done the same!"

Holding out her new dress for everyone to see, Febri happily celebrated her new gift. However, that happiness quickly disappeared when she collapsed on the spot, her face becoming flush and her breathing heavy. She whined about her head going foggy, as if she was on the verge of passing out. It was clear to everyone what the reason for this was: the toxins building up in her body threatening to kill her.

"She's getting worse, we have to hurry," Kuroko stressed as Saten got Febri another one of her lollipops.

Back at her desk, UIharu typed furiously as she went through the files one people involved with the Reach Assembly with Index acting as an additional archive. Looking through the previous contestant list, Uiharu pulled up a file of a certain man with black hair and rounded glasses, one that Kongou immediately recognized.

"Hold on a minute! It's him!" Kongou cried, rushing over to the computer, "That's the man that we saw! The one that was talking on his phone at the Reach Assembly site."

"Wait, really?" Touma asked, shocked by the sudden coincidence.

"Yes, that's definitely him," Wannai confirmed, looking at the file herself.

"Oh yeah. I'd recognize him anywhere," Awatsuki agreed.

"What that photo from?" Mikoto asked, joining in around the computer.

"The participant list from last year's assembly," Uiharu replied, reading through the file, "Haruki Aritomi. Oh, according to this, he won the Academic Reach's first prize two years ago. In fact, it seems he a regular participant and winner."

"Wow," Wannai mused in amazement, "If he consistently wins top prizes in the Assembly…"

"… it means that he's one of the most brilliant people in all of Academy City," Awatsuki finished the thought.

"This man, really?" Kuroko inquired, "That's odd. I've never even heard of him before."

"Of course not," Konori sighed, "In a city full of high level Espers, an ordinary genius doesn't exactly stand out.

Upon hearing this, Touma and Mikoto immediately thought back to their conversation with Therestina. How she said that those without status are the ones were truly victims of Academy City's darkness.

'So, this is what she meant,' Touma thought to himself in frustration.

"Oh hey, something else. It doesn't look like he's participating this year," Uiharu pointed out.

"Now that you mention it, Captain Yomikawa said that a lot of the regulars weren't showing up to the Reach Assembly this year."

A quick look at the participant list for the upcoming Reach Assembly confirmed this fact. Just looking at the shear size of each list, it was apparent that much fewer people were participating in the current year's Reach Assembly compared to those of the previous year. Upon seeing this, Uiharu quickly turned the screen to Index so she could memorize and analysis each list in hopes of determining who was in the same position as Aritomi. After all, it was quite possible that other missing participants were his associates.

After a whole day of nothing but dead ends, the investigation to save Febri was finally going somewhere.

* * *

Making his way home from the Branch Office, Touma couldn't help but wonder what could have pushed Aritomi to do the things that he has done. By all means, the man was a successful academic, a genuine genius in his fields of science and recognized as such. But at the same time, he went unrecognized. He's not exactly the kind of celebrity that passerby would know. Even then, why wouldn't he be satisfied with the recognition he got from his fellow scientist? Even if normal people didn't appreciate his genius, shouldn't it be enough to be respected by your peers, those that understand you? Just how deprived of attention could Aritomi be to attempt something at the Reach Assembly?

After the day Touma had had, he was more than ready to get back home and just relax for the night. However, when he got to his and his sister's shared home, he was greeted with two unpleasant surprises. The first was an email from Shizuri saying that she wasn't going to be home that night. Apparently, she had a job scheduled for tomorrow that was going to require some overnight preparation. Nothing special at this point, especially with this underground organization constantly trying to get free combat data from people of interest. That surprise came when Touma arrived at his building's lobby. The second surprise came when Touma reached his floor and found himself meeting a certain. Said guest was someone he was well acquainted with and was easy to identify based on his open shirt and sunglasses.

"Yo Kami, how have you been?" Tsuchimikado greeted, leaning against the door to the apartment directly next to the one Touma lived in.

"What are you doing here?" Touma demanded, too exhausted to worry about pleasantries.

"Funny story. See, I was going shopping not too long ago when I came across a lottery booth I happen to have a ticket for," the double agent explained, "So, I used the ticket and rolled the lottery, and by some luck I managed to win the grand prize, a new apartment that just so happened to be right next door to your new apartment."

"Even I can tell that's a lie, but I'm too tired to argue so I'm just going to accept it," Touma sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is it though?" Tsuchimikado mockingly suggested, "Anyway, that's not the only reason I'm here. Since summer is almost over, a bunch of the guys from class were thinking about getting together for a game of paint ball or something so I thought I'd stand by and invite you to join us."

"As much as I'd love to participate in a game in which you will undoubtedly use me as bait in, I'll have to pass. I kind of have a lot on my plate right now thanks to Judgement," Touma sighed, "Actually, there's something I need to ask you. Does the name Haruki Aritomi ring any bells for you?"

"Why do you ask?" the sunglass wearing student asked, his face growing serious.

"He's a prime suspect in an ongoing Judgement case," Touma explained, "We believe he has some involvement in an underground project known as the Chemicaloid Project. Apparently, Febri was created as a result of this project and part of her design is slowly killing her. If we don't find the people responsible, she will die. Have you heard anything about any of this?"

"I've heard some rumors, but nothing overly concrete," Tsuchimikado admitted, holding his chin, "A while back, Aritomi did propose a thesis regarding the potential of creating Espers artificially from scratch, suggesting that the process would create powerful Espers much more consistently than current methods. The thesis was mostly disregarded among the scientific community at the time, and honestly, I did the same. Never looked too much farther in after I initially heard it. I never would have thought that the project would actually take off, even in an underground setting."

"So, you don't know anything else?" Touma inquired.

"Nothing left to offer you. Sorry Kami," the blond shrugged.

"It's fine. Thanks, Tsuchimikado," Touma said, patting his friend's shoulder as he walked past the double agent and into his own apartment, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Once back in his apartment, Touma got to work getting ready to call it a day. Since he was the only one home and was too tired to cook, he settled for some leftovers he found in the fridge from the night before. After eating his leftovers dinner, he took a quick shower and headed straight to bed. Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to make sure Touma didn't have his way, as per usual, and he was met with a string of unfortunate events.

Upon entering his room, Touma ended up stepping on his misplaced school bag. This caused him to trip and fall on his back, as well as send the school bag flying through the air. Miraculously, the bag hit the book shelf that Touma happened to be laying under, knocking loose a binder than then nailed the misfortunate boy right in the face, as well as his first prototype ODD.

"Rotten luck," Touma whined as he lifted the offending binder and tool off his face.

Upon closer inspection of the binder, Touma noticed it had a label on the front of it. According to the label, it was a binder of his previous essays on Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly winners and their projects. This instantly brought to mind the fact that Aritomi had won the Reach Assembly two years ago. While Touma had no memory of going to the Reach Assembly two years ago, he now had in front of him a detailed record of what he experienced that was excluded from his journal.

Opening towards the essay his previous self had written two years ago, Touma was intrigued to see that he had indeed wrote about the joint project between Haruki Aritomi and Jun Sakurai. Based on the essay, the two students and budding researchers collaborated in the development in a revolutionary piece of technology. Using Sakurai's expertise in molecular biology, the two of them were able to create nanobots whose structure was based on those of microorganisms. These machines were extremely versatile and fulfil a variety of preprogramed tasks, such as constructing temporary structures, aid in medical treatment, and breaking down things like trash and non-decomposable materials. They were also self-replicating, using material the collected from breaking down structure to build and program more of themselves. Truly, something that revolutionary deserved the praise it earned in the Reach Assembly that year.

Touma could hardly believe what he was reading. When he first met Aritomi on the street turning a crowd of people against Kongou, he had taken him for a blowhard that was all bark and no bite. When he heard that Aritomi had nefarious plans regarding Febri and the Reach Assembly, Touma labeled him a criminal that had to be stopped. Now, looking at his own personal accounts of the man from two years ago, he could see that Aritomi was not all that bad a guy, or at least he used to be. He was a brilliant scientist with some truly revolutionary ideas. He's joint project from two years ago could have changed the world if he had put more effort into further advancing it. He was a respectable man who had so much he could have offered to the world.

But that left Touma the question of why. Why did Aritomi become so resentful of Espers? He had a bright and successful future ahead of him, so why throw it away for a life of crime? Why would he go through with such a twisted experiment like the Chemicaloid Project and put innocent people in danger like he did with Mikoto, Shizuri, and Touma himself? Why did he turn out like this? These were the thoughts that plagued Touma's mind as he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

The next day, everyone gathered at the Branch Office once again to report on their findings regarding the people involved in the Chemicaloid Project. Based on Uiharu and Index's findings, Aritomi and a small handful of other the missing regular participants of the Reach Assembly were all listed under a list of lead directors of a company known as the STUDY Corporation. According to Uiharu's findings, the company mainly deals with pharmaceutical manufacturing and chemical engineering, the perfect fields of study of someone wanted to completely construct a whole new type of organism from scratch.

Further investigation into the STUDY Corporation revealed that the owned a rather suspicious facility in School District 17. It was an old factory, nothing very special. However, the company paid a considerable sum of money for it, one far greater than what one would expect for such an old building. Thus, Mikoto volunteered to go to the factory and investigate it in person in hopes of finding something they could use to help save Febri, like the formula for her lollipops or clues towards the STUDY Corporation's true goals. In response, Touma volunteered to go with her, not liking the idea of Mikoto going in on her own. And so, the Level 5 and Level 0 were now riding a monorail in route to District 17 to investigate.

The pair sat on the monorail side-by-side in silence with Mikoto on the right and Touma on the left. As the monorail ran along, Mikoto couldn't help but notice that Touma had that look on his face, a look of worry, anxiety, and doubt. It was a look she always thought did not suit him.

"You okay?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"It's nothing," Touma denied, attempting to wave off the topic.

"Don't give me that," Mikoto demanded, "You've got that worried look on your face, the one you always make whenever your thinking really hard about something. So, tell me what's bugging you."

"Alright, fine," Touma sighed, slumping his shoulders and looking away, "I found an old essay a wrote a couple years ago for an extra credit assignment. It was on Aritomi's project, the one that won him the prize that year."

"So, you wrote a paper on the guy in middle school. So what?" Mikoto asked.

"It's just… from what I had written down, everything he had created was filled with potential," Touma admitted, "He had ideas, amazing ideas, the kind that could change the world for the better if he let them develop into something more than what they were. Instead, he threw it all away for a life of crime, hurting innocent people and discrediting the good work of people like Kongou who just try to help. It just doesn't make sense to me."

For a moment, Mikoto wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. For as long as she had known him (and for as many times as she's peeked into his journal when he wasn't looking) she still had a hard time grasping Touma's line of logic. He was a pretty straight forward kind of guy who believed in saving everyone and giving everyone a happy ending, going to any lengths to accomplish his goals so long as he didn't cross that final line. But at the same time, he could not seem to acknowledge the existence of morally gray areas, or even evil for that matter. He could not understand why someone would hurt others to reach their own goals.

Mikoto herself was rather curious as to what Aritomi's reason could for choosing the life he did. Their talk with Therestina suggested it was about attention and recognition, but she doubted Touma would accept that response. Honestly, she didn't want to accept that response either, but it looked to be the only logical explanation at this point.

As Mikoto continued to ponder how to respond to Touma's problem, she noticed something passing by outside the monorail's windows. Not too far away from the rails was a familiar metal structure scorched with electricity and covered in gashes. It was something that Mikoto recognized all too well as it marked a major turning point in her life.

"Hey Touma, look," Mikoto instructed, nodding her head towards the window behind them.

When he turned around, Touma rose an eyebrow at what he saw.

"Isn't that the bridge where you confessed to and nearly killed me?" Touma asked, not sure why Mikoto was bringing up the event now.

"More than that, idiot," Mikoto huffed, slightly annoyed that he was already missing the point of the conversation, "It's were you saved my life. I was about to throw my life away, but then you showed up, not even offering an alternative solution at the time, and made me reconsider. I was wandering alone in darkness, but then you came helped me find a way out."

"Is there a point to this?" Touma inquired, still not sure where Mikoto was going.

"When we spoke to Therestina, you swore you would be the light that stretches out a hand and help guide others out of the darkness. You've done so with me, you're making progress with you sister, and Accelerator is next on that list," Mikoto said proudly, "If anyone is capable of doing what you said you would do, it's you. We will save Febri and give her the chance to live, and maybe along the way, we'll find out why Aritomi is doing what he's doing and put a stop to it."

"How can you be so sure we'll succeed?" Touma asked skeptically.

"Because you're here fighting along side us," Mikoto replied reassuringly, leaning on Touma's shoulder, "You're the guy that people can rely on to get the job done when all else fails. The person others can believe in. That's why a believe we'll succeed. Because when the chips are down, you always come through."

Despite his own doubts, Touma couldn't help but smile at his admirer as she made her declaration.

"Really? A gambling analogy with my rotten luck?" Touma joked, "Not to mention how daring you've been getting lately."

"Shut up and let me have this, idiot," Mikoto huffed, not appreciating Touma ruining the mood.

"Sorry," Touma laughed, feeling much more at ease.

* * *

When Touma and Mikoto arrived at STUDY Corporation's factory in District 17, they split up so they could cover more ground. Touma stayed on the ground, patrolling the area for any suspicious characters. Meanwhile, Mikoto took to the rooftops to get an overhead view of the factory's interior. The two of them stayed in contact with a communicator carried by Mikoto that was connected to Touma's ODD's communication channels.

" _Hey Touma, did your sister happen to have a job today?_ " Mikoto asked over the commlink.

"Why do you ask?" Touma asked in turn, pressing himself against a wall while checking behind a corner, spotting a nearby door.

" _I just found her and her team clearing out a couple dozen Powered Suits inside the factory, and it looks like they're leaving now._ "

"Wait, which way are they heading out?" Touma asked in a panic.

As if on cue, the door Touma had spotted just a second ago opened. From it walked out the four field members of ITEM, with Shizuri in the lead and the other three girls following closely behind. Seeing as he had stumbled upon his sister during her business hours, Touma quickly pulled back from the corner he was peeking behind and held his breath as to not potentially draw her attention. He was already well aware of how much she disliked him going above and beyond in Judgement work, especially when he started dealing with threats from Academy City's Underworld, so he'd rather not be found by her in a place that was clearly associated with an underground organization.

When he was sure that Shizuri and the rest of her group had left, Touma released the breath he had been holding and contacted Mikoto again.

"That was way too close for comfort," Touma whispered, "At least we know this place is associated with some form of underworld activities. Looks like whoever is responsible hired Shizuri on another but job to collect data."

" _And it really looks like they did a number on this place too_ ," Mikoto replied, " _Hang on, I'm detecting functioning electricity deeper within the building. I'm going to go follow it. Contact me if you see anyone else enter the building._ "

"Copy that."

After nearly having his cover blown in front of his sister, Touma once again continued to patrol the perimeter of the facility for anyone of interest. For the most part, it was quiet, disturbingly so. No guards, no security robots, no real security measures whatsoever. Even if Shizuri and her group had just torn up the place, he would have expected there to be some signs of a struggle like wreckage from a fight. It was almost like the place was never meant to be protected.

A few minutes went by before anything of note happened on Touma's side. As he was about to turn a corner, he saw a car pull up in front of the building. Coming out of the car was Aritomi himself, who seemed more pleased than anything given the circumstances, with the factory a complete wreck and security being breached multiple times within a single day. Seeing this, Touma figured something wasn't quite right with the situation and tried to contact Mikoto via their commlink. Unfortunately, he couldn't get a proper signal to her. If he had to guess, Mikoto was too far into the facility for the signal to reach.

"Too much concrete," Touma whispered to himself, "Better contact Headband at headquarters. Hopefully, Zapper's wiretap tracker is still working."

* * *

Deep in the factory, Mikoto had stumbled upon a computer room, as well as its sole occupant, Shinobu Nunotaba. At first, the Level 5 had thought that the researcher was in league the Aritomi's group and the person who told Febri her name. And while that was true, it was not the complete truth.

As explained by Nunotaba, she had given Febri Mikoto's name in hopes that the latter would be able to save the former and give her a future. While everything didn't go exactly as she planned, Nunotaba was satisfied by the resulting turn of events that led Mikoto to the very factory she was in. Now that the Railgun was in front of her, Nunotaba quickly handed over the formula for Febri's neutralizing agent that she had just retrieved form the factory's computers. With that, Febri would be able to continue living without the need of STUDY Corporation.

Sadly, an unexpected third party entered the fray with some unfortunate news.

"I'm afraid things aren't going to play out as you planned," a new voice interrupted.

Turning around, the two girls were shocked to see the face of the man behind the whole operation, Haruki Aritomi.

"What you have in that data capsule is just a dummy formula," the man explained, "It won't do anything to help with Febri's condition. I knew it would be a good idea to have some insurance. Always have a contingency plan."

Adjusting his glasses, Aritomi focused squarely on Nunotaba.

"So, you were the one who orchestrated Febri's escape. For a traitor, you sure do keep interesting company," Aritomi mused, "Enlisting the help of a celebrity, very resourceful. I'm impressed."

His focus then shifted to Mikoto herself, his face oozing with confidence, as if he had full control of the situation.

"It's nice to finally have a chance to meet you in person, Railgun," Aritomi greeted in a pseudo-polite manner, "put a face to the data I collected, and very useful data it has been."

"So, your Haruki Aritomi, huh?" Mikoto mused.

"Well this is surprising," Aritomi noted, "You seem to have gone through an awful bit of trouble, and just to save Febri's life. She is a fine product, but even so."

"A fine product," Mikoto sparked, "then you're the one responsible for creating her."

"Easy now," Aritomi instructed, holding out a similar data capsule that Nunotaba had given Mikoto, "You shouldn't use electricity. Not unless you want to destroy the real copy of the neutralizing agent."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Mikoto silently admitted to herself that Aritomi really had the entire situation under his control. He was blocking the only exit from the computer room, and even if she fought her way through, he also had the neutralizing agent that she and Touma had came to the factory to find in the first place. If Mikoto made any hostile moves, with or without her ability, the data capsule would be destroyed, and she wouldn't have another chance of getting it. She couldn't even call for help at this point since there was so much concrete between her and Touma that the commlink went dead, and that was a long time ago.

"Nunotaba," Aritomi said as he pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to the traitor, "Inject that into Railgun."

In Nunotaba's hands was an injection pen, the kind used for self-administrating insulin and allergy suppressants.

"It will only incapacitate her," Aritomi explained, "She won't die. And what's more, if you follow my instructions exactly, I'd be more than willing to hand the real neutralizing formula over to you. After all, we have no real need for it anymore at this stage."

"No…" Nunotaba refused, "I can't do it."

"Inject me," Mikoto instructed, holding out her right arm to the unwilling scientist, "This is to save Febri's life. Just do it."

Despite her every instinct telling her not to go through with it, something told Nunotaba that she could trust the Level 5's judgement. With unsure hands, she held Mikoto's arm in place and injected the contents of the injection pen into her body.

As soon as the drug was injected, Mikoto felt the effects of it immediately. She suddenly lost all feeling in her body and was unable to stay standing. With very little grace, she collapsed on the ground in a heap.

"Strong enough to render even a Level 5 powerless," Aritomi laughed, happy with the results.

"Alright, I've done as you asked," Nunotaba demanded, "Now, give me the formula."

"Well, about our deal," Aritomi said mockingly as he dropped the data capsule on the floor and crushed it under foot, "Like I said, we have no use for Febri. After all, she's just a spare."

"Just… a spare?" Mikoto gasped, completely stunned in more ways than one.

"Yes," Aritomi postulated proudly, "For an invention that is truly revolutionary, we call it Janie."

This was the last thing Mikoto heard before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple," a man in a red long coat brandishing a massive white sword cheered, "I'm your host, Animan von Elysium X, with my assistant, Priestess Number 1: Aisa Himegami!"**

 **"It's a pleasure to be here again," the girl in the Miko outfit and hime cut bowed.**

 **"Been a while since we've done this, huh?" Animan grinned.**

 **"You've gotten lazy, master," Himegami snarked, "you need more discipline."**

 **"Hey, I was busy! Anyway, we had quite a bit going on this chapter, with Touma basically declaring morality war against Academy City's darkness and a look at Aritomi's past as a research as seen by an outside observer. Give a bit more to the character, don't you think."**

 **"It is nice to see a little of what he was before his fall to darkness," Himegami admitted.**

 **"I see this as an absolute win!" Animan yelled to the sky in joy, "That's all the time we have for now. We'll see you next time for the next chapter, 'A Hand in Reach'."**

 **"See you soon," Himegami said with a wave goodbye.**


	49. A Hand in Reach

**Here we are again! Today, I give you the penultimate chapter for the Silent Party Arc. For those of you who have been enjoying this arc, it's almost over! Get ready for one of the largest scale battles Academy City has seen, demonstrating the strength that rises when high level Espers and regular folk work together! For those of you who have not been enjoying this arc, it's almost over, so you don't have to suffer through this anymore.**

 **Honestly, I'm kind of sad its almost over. I for one liked this arc and tried to my best ability make it more appealing for the general audience. But at the same time, I know I can't force anyone's opinions on this arc to change, even for my own take on it, so I'll just have to accept whatever you all think of it in the end.**

 **For now, let's get your reviews replied to so you can all see what you actually came here for.**

 _JayMyBoy: Don't worry. I don't plan on giving up on this story any time soon!_

 _Anti-Mage 29: Yup. You never want to get caught by your older sister, especially if she can fire laser beams with her mind. It's Tsuchimikado, you really shouldn't expect any less from him. Actually, Touma's summer homework is a non-issue for him in this story. In the original continuity, he forgot to do his homework because he got amnesia during the start of the summer and had a lot of stuff happen to him in quick succession with no real breather. plus he has to pay for a second set of remedial classes since his amnesia made him forget to attend the first set. In this story, the Railgang are with him as soon as he wakes up with amnesia and set his straight early on, making sure he completes his homework by the due date and having him attend the first round of remedial classes so he doesn't pay for the second set. Don't worry though. I have something very special planned for the Three Stories Arc, just you wait._

 _ahsoei: That was more of Touma being cautious than anything else. After all, he knows that Aritomi is a genius that would have several contingencies in place. Plus, the multiple layers of concrete within the build would mess with wireless communications so he would be going in blind if he tried. Actually, Accelerator having met Last Order at the of the Silent Party Arc is a continuity error. At the beginning of the Silent Party Arc, Mikoto is still being stalked by Etzali. Touma deals with Etzali and Accelerator meets Last Order on the same day. Since Mikoto is clearly dealing with Febri throughout the entirety of the arc, that means Touma has yet to deal with Etzali and thus Accelerator and Last Order could not have met yet._

 _Herox100: That was actually one of my favorite things to write in that chapter. It's just such a Touma moment and all the more satisfying given that my incarnation of Touma has to take a lot of the darker dealings of Academy City much more personally._

 _RedSS: You call it BS, I call it in character for Touma. Now, my interpretation of Touma as a character may be a bit off, but I've always seen him as a very straightforward and direct person. He does and says what he wants regardless of what people may say is "wrong" or "not normal". He's not bound by traditional morality or logic. He just does what he believes is right regardless what others might say. Really, it's not a matter of him unable to understand gray morality, but rather he's above morality and simply seeks to help people he needs help. That's why the discussion of Touma's inability to understand gray morality is ultimately dropped so suddenly, because it ultimately doesn't matter for Touma. He see's someone in trouble, he's going to help, the rest of the world's view on the subject be damned._

 _Healthcare: Glad you liked the chapter so much. I'll try to work on being more descriptive with scenes in the future, but I'm not sure how well easily or obviously the results will look for the time being. Slow learning process._

 _hexmaster23: Yeah, I realize that this isn't one of the better liked arcs. I hoping to at least make my version of it a bit more enjoyable._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: Ah, so you want more Touma misfortune do you? Sadly, I tend to pull back on the misfortune in higher tension scenarios, but I do try my best to give Touma a reason to say his catchphrase at least once per chapter. How bad the incident that prompts the catchphrase is will vary._

 _Aminadab Brulle: Oh wow, I haven't even read the Indian Poker Arc in my own leisure time yet. I've got some serious catching up to do._

 _jonathanblade00: Thank you so much! Blending the spin-off and the main story is something I always aim to nail whenever I write one of these chapters, so I'm glad it's paying off._

 _mohamadstar94: Thanks for the kind words._

 _OnePunchPlayer: Believe it or not, I actually have a plan for an explanation of what that thing beyond the right hand is. Of course, it won't come into play for a long time, but the plan is in place._

 _Anycartoon123 (Guest): Thank you for the kind words. I am planning on covering as many events that are covered in both Index and Railgun, potentially including Accelerator if I feel it to be necessary. Won't reveal too much on what happens in the future, but I will say that there are some really big changes from canon._

 _Kamijou Touma (Guest): Because you're world doesn't include the brilliant mind of Doctor Roku Bakuya (My OC, do not steal)! With out him, ODD would have never become a thing! That, and you never joined Judgement._

 _O (Guest): Yes and no. Certain members of ITEM will fall for him but will keep from making a move due to Shizuri. Others will not for one reason or another. (And yes, that includes Shizuri herself. I'm not a degenerate.)_

 _Isokage (Guest): Don't worry, I'm not planning on stopping soon. I've got big plans I need to see come into fruition. No plans for specifics on that interaction in particular, but I do have some very special stuff planned for the Daihasei_

 _ArcaRoz: Thank you so much for the kind words. I'll be sure to keep going with this story far into the future. It will take a couple of years, but I've got plans that got at least into the end of OT, so I've got to make them happen!_

 _SolanaLeonhart: Good to be back. Yes, the Three Stories Arc does revolve around Mikoto, Touma, and Accelerator. The events being Mikoto and Touma's fake date and her Mikoto's stalker, Accelerator meeting Last Order, and Touma rescuing Index from a magicial trying to get a Grimoire from her head to save his cursed wife._

 _Generation Zero: Yeah, hindsight is 20-20. The interrogation felt redundant at times, especially since I had Tsuchimikado in the chapter later on, but it served its purpose. Plus, it gave me an excuse to write a Touma speech, which is always a plus. Fleshing out Aritomi's character is actually a major point in this chapter in particular. A closer look at his past than what the anime originally gave should help make him a more sympathetic character, but I'll let you be the judge of that. You might just be surprised by what you see._

 _Berix: Sorry for all the spelling errors. I'm really am trying to get better at it. As for fixing preexisting one... not exactly on my priority list. Glad you liked the chapter and the shipping._

 _GENO BERSERK: That will actually be revealed to the audience next chapter. How you may ask? You'll just have to wait and see._

 _janjakennen: Glad you like the story so much. I actually have something planned out already for the start of the Three Stories Arc. It actually feeds in from an original arc I have planned in between Silent Party and Three Stories. Touma will actually learn about what happened to Accelerator after the events of the Kazaki Arc. You got to let those rumor mills turn first. Already the plan with Accelerator's portion of the Three Stories Arc. It's really more of a character analysis of my new take on Accelerator/Yuri Suzushina. For the time being, Shizuri will try to keep ITEM away from Touma as she's trying to keep her two lives separated for Touma's sake. Exploring new character dynamics is a major part of this story, so Index and Last Order developing a deeper friendship is a given. I'm actually not too sure about Kazakiri since I haven't looked at that arc in a while, but I will say it will be an overall positive experience. Most relationships stay the same unless they are directly impacted by changing events or character dynamics. For example, Touma might have a slightly lower opinion of Hamazura post WWIII since he would have wronged him considerably more since he would now be responsible for Shizuri missing an eye and an arm, on top of him trying to kill Misuzu given his closer relationship to Mikoto. As of right now, Touma's harem isn't really that massive (massive being used loosely considering all the Sisters) but the basic plan is for Mikoto to be a constant front runner (because I'm Kamikoto trash) with other members still regularly making moves in the event that things don't work out for Touma and Mikoto. I actually have something similar to what you have suggested for Misaki planned for much earlier. When it will show up is a surprise. I'm not stopping this story any time soon, so expect more._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, I honestly believe the plot of the Silent Party Arc was decent enough to warrant not changing too much and that it was the antagonists that were the bigger issue as they themselves are generally disliked, especially Aritomi. A more detailed and hopefully more sympathetic backstory is something I hope will fix that issue and make the story as a whole more enjoyable._

 _ParadoxReader (Guest): Yeah, I try to make character inclusions feel natural, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. That's pretty much why I had Index relegated to house arrest during the Poltergeist Arc since she would have absolutely zero reason to be involved in any of the events. I have a whole ton planned for the future, especially with the prospect of how many characters can be connected just from the slight change in character dynamic I've created. I just don't want to spoil the surprises._

 _LegallyRestricted: All Kiharas eventually learn to fear Touma Kamijou. Since Therestina is trapped behind bars, I had to give her the chance to learn that now or never. Aritomi is a genius, as Touma knows very well from his school papers on the guy. He's just being cautious as to avoid falling into a trap like Mikoto ultimately did._

 **And that's all of them. Wow, there were some really long review this time around with so many question! Hope this level pf** **responsiveness continues moving forward.**

 **For now, you all know the drill.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 49: A Hand in Reach

 _ **Two Years Ago**_

"The idealist will say that no man has inherent superiority, that we are, all of us, beings of equal worth. While the spiritualist will argue, no effort goes unrewarded. So endeavor we must, for it is the process itself that is important."

These were the words Aritomi spoke when accepting his first-place award at the Academy City Research Form Assembly. They were his acceptance speech, a celebration of his efforts in the name of scientific research. They were words that he had always believed in, the beliefs he upheld ever since he started his studies in Academy City as a researcher. However, looking at the audience before him, he couldn't help but feel that faith waver.

Here he was, giving a speech in a massive auditorium, only to see that the room was nearly empty. The room was made to occupy hundreds of people, yet those attending numbered in only the couple dozens. Of those couple dozen people, most were researchers, with only a handful of the other attendees being students doing extra credit assignments. The applause from the minimal crowds was quiet, only audible thanks to the structure of the auditorium. To see such little interest in the process of research was more than a bit discouraging. One would think that the city of science would be filled with people with similar views to his own; the view that research should be done in the pursuit of knowledge, regardless of what the results may be. Sadly, the miniscule crowd suggested otherwise. It was clear that most people within Academy City were far more interested in the final results of research, namely the Esper powers it spawned, than research itself.

Stepping off the stage, Aritomi was greeted by his friend and partner, Jun Sakurai. She was a brilliant young woman whom he had met in school, and one he had the utmost respect for. While he was the mastermind behind their project, it was her expansive knowledge of microbiology that made it possible. They wouldn't have won if it wasn't for her contributions.

"Excellent speech, Aritomi," Sakurai complimented, "I'm sure everyone who heard it agrees with your sentiments."

"Thank you, Sakurai," Aritomi replied with a melancholy smile, "I only wish more people could have heard it. As you can see, the auditorium isn't exactly what you'd call 'packed'. You'd think that a few more fellow researchers would spare an hour to celebrate their profession."

"Come now, we all have our own projects to work on," Sakurai encouraged, "I'm sure they're all just caught up in their own research, that's all. Now, are you going to help me clean up the presentation, or are you going to give people the chance to steal all our hard work?"

"Very well," Aritomi chucked, "Lead the way."

Leaving the auditorium, the pair of researchers returned to their presentation booth to see that it was just as they had left it. In the back of the booth was a large screen showing a slideshow on loop, explaining the basics of their project. One of the slides was of a diagram showing the structural similarities between common microorganisms and the nanobots created using said microorganisms as a blueprint. In the front of the booth was a table with two disk shaped capsules small enough to fit in the palm of someone's hand and two masses of nanobots. These nanobots were running on programming transmitted to them form their capsules. A mass was creating multiple shapes of different tools of varying complexity. The other mass was accompanied by a pile of trash, slowly eating away at it and using the consumed mass to create more nanobots.

However, the lack of even a single spectator was a bit discouraging for the researchers. They expected at least a small handful of people to stop and look it their display out of curiosity, but no one had bothered to spare it a glance. The issue was further made apparent by the fact that the only people present at the venue were Anti-Skill and Judgement Officers and a few other researchers cleaning up their own projects.

Reluctantly, despite the lack of attention their award-winning project was receiving, Aritomi and Sakurai got under way cleaning up their booth. Pressing a singe button at the top of each capsule, the two masses of nanobots were signaled to return and deactivate. Once the signal was sent, the nanobots immediately returned to their capsules, disappearing from sight.

"You know, it really is disappointing that not a lot of people will know about this innovation of ours," Aritomi mused as he placed the capsules in their custom suitcase.

"I agree," Sakurai replied, disconnecting her laptop form the large television screen, "It really is a shame. Maybe a new project idea will pique some interest. Perhaps something related to Esper abilities? That is what most people know Academy City for."

"Perhaps," Aritomi agreed, "but the process for creating Espers is so inconsistent and getting approval to run tests with one of the higher Level Espers is no easy feat."

'But,' Aritomi thought to himself, 'what if there was a way to make powerful Espers even a bit more consistently?'

"Um, excuse me," a third voice said, making itself known, "Are you cleaning up now?"

Looking up from his work, Aritomi spotted a middle school boy standing just outside their presentation booth. He was a rather unremarkable young man, his only real notable trait being his spiky black hair.

"Yes, we are cleaning up our presentation," Aritomi replied, approaching the boy, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually," the boy said, pulling out a pen and notebook, "I'm doing a report on a Reach Assembly project of my choice, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me, if it wasn't too much trouble."

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

After having apprehended the traitorous Nunotaba and the nosy Railgun, Aritomi had called in the rest of STUDY Corporation to properly detain them. With the assistance of several Powered Suits operated through Janie's Diffusion Ghost ability, Aritomi had their two prisoners transported to one of STUDY Corporation's more inconspicuous facilities to keep them under lock and key. That should keep either of them from interfere any further.

Now all that was left was to prepare for the Reach Assembly tomorrow. Finally, after so much effort and development, Aritomi and the rest of STUDY Corporation had a project that people could not just overlook. After being ignored by the general populace and disgraced by his idols in research, he had something that could prove his worth, a creation that could compete with the fantastical powers of high level Espers. All he needed to do now was start this revolution.

* * *

When Mikoto woke up, she saw that she was in a completely different location then where she was before. She was now above ground in a room illuminated by sunlight from the massive windows. She was laying on her belly on top of a stretcher with her head turned to face the windows, in front of which Nunotaba was sitting on the ground. From the clock on the building across the street, she could see that the time was 3:40 PM, well into the afternoon. When she tried to get up, Mikoto noticed that she couldn't get her muscles to move, no matter how much she tried.

"Don't bother trying to move," Nunotaba instructed, "Only your eyes and your mouth will respond. Your body is still paralyzed by the drug Aritomi had me inject into you. It blocks the transmission of commands across your nervous system. You won't be able to move a finger for at least another two hours."

"Is that so," Mikoto mused, "I'm curious, how did you get involved with these people? I remember what you said about my sisters; how you stopped seeing them as things and were trying to shut down the experiments. After all that, why get mixed up in something like this."

"During the Sister's Case, I made a mistake," the prodigy researcher explained, turning her head away from the paralyzed Electromaster, "I was caught by an underground organization and sold to STUDY. That was when I was introduced to the artificially created twins, Janie and Febri. Their involuntary neuroactivity was based on a thesis I had written a long time ago, the same one that lead to the creation of Project Level 6 Shift. That particular sin is one that will follow me for the rest of my life. Even so, I must keep trying. I must atone in whatever way possible. That was all I could think when I saw those girls. Janie, Febri's sister, only has enough neuro-programming installed to allow her Diffusion Ghost Core to function properly."

"Diffusion Ghost?" Mikoto inquired, having never heard the term before.

"That is Janie's ability," Nunotaba explained further, "I planned to give her consciousness comparable to that of a normal girl. I'd get my hands on the neutralizing agent, and then I would run away with her. But now things have gone too far and that isn't possible. I have to get the formula from Aritomi. That's the only choice since he's the one who came up with it. I'll do whatever I can to get it from him."

'Yes, I see,' Mikoto thought to herself as she watched Nunotaba get up, her mind wondering to memories of Project Level 6 Shift.

"I don't care what happens to me," Nunotaba declared, "I will save those girls, no matter the cost."

'I get it,' the Railgun mused, 'I understand her guilt.'

"Hey," Mikoto called out, "my sister never got the chance to, but she wanted to tell you thanks."

That simple message from one of 9968 Sisters was enough to get the guilt-ridden researcher to break from her tirade.

"You think you have to do this by yourself, but if you take a look around, I think you'll realize you're wrong," Mikoto continued, "You're not alone. There are people out there who want to help you if you let them."

"And you're one of those people, I suppose!?" Nunotaba yelled angerly, turning her back to the Railgun, "But how do you think you can help me right now!? You're effectively paralyzed! Thanks to me, the only thing you can move is your mouth!"

"Oh really?" Mikoto grunted, accompanied by the sound of electrical buzzing, "Just my mouth, huh?"

Turning to face the paralyzed girl, Nunotaba could barely believe what she was seeing. By using her electrical powers, Mikoto was manually and forcefully transmitting electrical signals throughout her nerves, allowing her motor control. Such a process should surely be causing extensive pain and damage throughout her entire body, yet she was pushing though it like it was nothing.

"Let me tell you what I've come to realize recently," Mikoto said, sitting up on the stretcher, "Other people count on you, but you can count on them too. If you work with someone instead of on your own, your combined strength can make all the difference.

"When I first found out about my sisters, I reacted the same way you are. I just kept thinking, 'This is all my fault. I have to do something'. However, it took a while, but I finally stopped thinking like that. That's why…"

Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard from somewhere inside the building, cutting Mikoto off. It was quickly followed by several alarms going off, causing quite the ruckus.

"Here they come," Mikoto mused proudly.

* * *

In the building's lobby, several Security Robots had been reduced to smoking piles of scrap metal. Some had steel pins teleported inside vital parts, while others had been punctured through and had their internal circuitry fried beyond repair. I was none other than the work of two of Judgement's finest, Kuroko Shirai and Touma Kamijou.

"Uiharu, Kamijou and I have the entrance under our control," Kuroko called over her commlink. "Are you certain there are no civilians in the area?"

* * *

"Yes, the building is clear," Uiharu replied, typing away at her computer in the 177th Judgement Branch Office, "You can do whatever you need to. Come in, Saten. What's the status outside?"

* * *

From the roof of the building across the street from Mikoto and Nunotaba, Saten had a watchful eye on STUDY's facility. With a pair of binoculars in hand, she kept watch for any suspicious characters.

"Looks good," Saten replied, "No suspicious activity so far."

" _I've got Mikoto's location_ ," Touma called out over the commlink, " _Shirai, I'll leave the rest of security to you!_ "

* * *

When the alarms started going off, Nunotaba was completely thrown for a loop. It was clear that Mikoto's friends had come to rescue her, but the researcher had no idea how. The facility they were in was a completely inconspicuous office building; it was one of the last places anyone would suspect to be used as a prison for an underground organization.

"How did they know where to find you?" Nunotaba asked, utterly confused.

"I had this GPS tracker on me," Mikoto replied, pulling out a small black box from her shirt, "My friends and I may not look it, but we've had some experience in espionage. With was a piece of leftover equipment from the last operation we conducted. It was a simple plan, really. I told my friends to come looking for me if I was gone for too long. Plus, it helped to have a certain idiot watching my back and reporting everything in real time."

"So, you actually dragged your friends into this mess," the researcher huffed under her breath.

"No, that's not true at all," Mikoto rebutted, "I explained the situation to them and then I asked. I asked for help. And without hesitation, they agreed. They care about Febri too. Although, it looks like Febri might need more help than my friends and I can give. So now I'm asking you, do you think you can help us save her?"

"But this is all my fault," Nunotaba argued, "You can't trust me."

"Yes, I can," Mikoto said reassuringly, "I trust you completely."

For a moment, Nunotaba was at a loss for words. After everything that happened, everything she had done wrong, Mikoto was still willing to trust her. Not only that, she had complete faith in her. It didn't make any logical sense, but at the same time it did. It wasn't a matter of looking at a person's past actions and predicting their behavior based on them. It was a matter of knowing and understanding that person and believing in their character. For someone like Nunotaba, who has always looked at the world with a cold and calculated perspective, it was one of the sweetest, most heartfelt things she had ever experienced.

"No, this is all wrong. You shouldn't be saying that," Nunotaba finally spoke up, "I'm the one who should be asking you. So now I am. I'm asking. Please, help us!"

"Of course we'll help you," Mikoto replied with an affirmative nod, "Of course, there is one idiot among us who doesn't even need to be asked to help someone. You might know him."

As if on cue, the door to the makeshift prison cell flew open with a crash. Standing in the doorway was none other than the misfortunate wielder of Imagine Breaker, Touma Kamijou.

"You okay, Mikoto!" Touma called out before flinching and clutching his left shoulder, "Probably shouldn't have shoulder charged that door at full speed."

"That's what you get for being such an idiot, idiot," Mikoto smirked, silently giggling to herself.

"It's you," Nunotaba gasped in awe.

"Oh, you're here too, Nunotaba?" Touma asked absentmindedly, "Didn't think we'd find you locked up in here too."

"It's a long story," Mikoto cut in, walking up to meet her crush, "But that doesn't matter right now. What's important is that she wants us to cooperate with her with saving Febri and her sister Janie."

"Really? That's great!" Touma cheered, "Come on, let's get the two of you out of here!"

"No," Nunotaba cut in with a firm voice, "I can't leave."

"What are you talking about?" Touma asked in confusion, "This is a jail break, and you're one of the prisoners. Why can't you leave?"

"Aritomi is cautious. He does not want to be discovered," Nunotaba explained, kicking over a potted plant, giving the room the guise of having a struggle, "He's relocated Janie to someplace else. If I leave, we won't be able to find out where she is now."

"But you…," Mikoto tried to argue, but was cut off.

"Don't worry about me," the enslaved researcher continued, "I still have at least a little value to them. They won't be so quick as to dispose of me right away. I just need to bide my time. I'll locate their base and get the formula we need."

"I guess that makes sense. However," Touma said as he drew his ODD and approached one of the windows, "if you're going to make it look like there was a struggle, then you have to make it look authentic!"

Without any other warning, Touma smashed in the window with his ODD's baton mode, scattering glass across the floor. He then turned towards the stretcher Mikoto had been laying on minutes ago and flipped it on its side. Finally, he threw his ODD at the other potted plant in the room, shattering the pot and spilling soil everywhere. By the time he was done, the entire room was a total mess, like a massive fight had broken out and smashed everything in sight.

"If you're going to say behind for espionage, you got to sell your story," Touma explained, patting his hands clean of dirt, "Keep them thinking they still have the advantage. These guys are genuine geniuses, so you need to use every trick in the book to fool them."

"Hm. You're a lot smarter than you make yourself out to be, Kamijou," Nunotaba mused passively.

"That sounds like a compliment, but somehow I can't help but feel insulted," the unlucky Kamijou deadpanned.

"Just be careful, alright?" Mikoto requested of the gloomy eyed researcher, "By the way, our investigation as lead us to believe that STUDY is planning to do something at the Reach Assembly tomorrow. Do you have any idea what that might be?"

"They haven't given me too many details, but I do know they have something planned tomorrow morning," Nunotaba confirmed, "Using Janie's Diffusion Ghost ability, they're going to launch a large-scale attack on the Reach Assembly venues. From there, they'll widen the range of their attack to include the rest of Academy City, throwing everything into chaos."

"I'm sorry, you said that they were going to use this Janie's Diffusion Ghost ability to launch this attack, but how exactly does this ability work?" Touma inquired.

"Her ability requires hair for a medium," Nunotaba explained, "With it, she is able to convert the AIM Diffusion Fields in an enclosed space into virtual matter and achieve control. Normally, this ability requires active control of whatever Diffusion Ghost is being manifested, which limits how many units can be controlled at once. However, for the purpose of this large-scale attack, simple commands are programmed in ahead of time that can be easily be exploited. For example, 'Eliminate any opponent who attacks.'"

"So that explains it," Touma pondered, "That's how all those Security Robots and Powered Suits were able to operate without any power sources. They were basically possessed by scientific ghosts. Once I touched the Powered Suit with my right hand, the ghosts were dispelled, and the suit stopped functioning."

"That is correct," Nunotaba nodded, "You in particular were chosen for testing as a benchmark, to see how Janie's Diffusion Ghost compared to other Esper abilities when pitted against your Imagine Breaker."

"I've actually been wondering about that," Touma added, "How did STUDY know about Imagine Breaker? Sure, I've told a couple people about its existence, but most people just brush it off as a rumor."

"During the early stages of the project, STUDY hacked into certain higher priority databases within Academy City, specifically those of the governing board. A form of rebellion against the society that shunned them, if you will," the enslaved girl explained, "Among the files stolen was a profile on you, Touma Kamijou, which went into considerable detail on yourself as a person and your little-known ability. It was from that file that STUDY learned of Imagine Breaker."

Touma could hardly believe what he was hearing. There was actual documentation of Imagine Breaker within Academy City? All this time, at least according to what his journal said, he had believed that the city was completely unaware of Imagine Breaker's existence. It never showed up on any scans and it was the reason he had been labeled a Level 0. If someone higher up in the bureaucratic ladder of Academy City knew, how much did they really know? And more importantly, how much more did they know than Touma himself did?

"Was there anything in that file that went into further detail regarding Imagine Breaker itself?" Touma asked desperately.

"If there is, I wouldn't know," Nunotaba lamented, "They never let me look at that information. Just the parts regarding your personal information."

"That's not creepy at all," Touma deadpanned.

"Anything else you can tell us that will be useful?" the Railgun inquired, "Like how you intend to tell us STUDY's location when they have you under such tight surveillance."

"It's true. I won't be able to contact you through traditional means, but you should be able to track down the location with Febri's help," Nunotaba explained, "Once Janie activates her ability, Febri should be able to lead you in her general direction."

"This is a lot to take it," Mikoto mused, "Is that everything?"

"Everything I know," Nunotaba replied, "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."

"Don't worry. This is plenty. Come on Mikoto, let's not keep the others waiting," Touma said, reaching for Mikoto's shoulder with his right hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Railgun protested, taking a step back.

"What? Why?" Touma asked in confusion.

"Aritomi forced me to inject her with a neurotoxin that left her temporarily paralyzed," Nunotaba explained, "The effects have yet to fully wear off, so she's using her ability to force the electrical singles in her nerves to work, effectively turning her into a walking bug zapper."

"Seriously? Doesn't that hurt?" Touma asked in concern.

"It's nothing, really!" Mikoto insisted, attempting to wave off the issue.

However, Touma wasn't having any of it. Despite Mikoto's protests, he reached behind her and touched her right shoulder with his right hand. With the sound of shattering glass, Mikoto's ability dissipated, leaving her paralyzed again. Before she could collapse form the loss of her motor functions, Touma swung his left arm behind her legs and scoped her up, picking her up bridal style.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, idiot!?" Mikoto cried, blushing profusely.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Touma asked rhetorically, "I know I nicknamed you after a bug zapper, but that doesn't mean you should go and literally turn yourself into one. I'll carry you out of here, okay?"

"That's not the issue here," Mikoto mumbled, trying to look away to hide her blush, but failing to do so since she was still paralyzed.

"I see why you like him," Nunotaba remarked flatly, finding something to find humor in despite the grim situation.

"Shut up," Mikoto huffed weakly, "Just be careful alright?"

"I will," the enslaved researcher nodded.

"We'll come back for you," Touma vowed, "That's a promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Nunotaba warned, "There's no guarantee that all of us are going to get out of this in one piece."

"You see, there's something you need to know about Touma Kamijou," Mikoto giggled, "He always keeps his promises. Once he makes a promise, whatever he promised is as good done."

"How can you be so certain?" Nunotaba asked, confused as to where all this faith was coming from.

"See once promised me he'd fight Accelerator, save my sisters, and come back alive," Mikoto replied with a smile, "Seeing where we are now, I think its pretty clear what the end result was."

"So that explains it," Nunotaba whispered wistfully.

"Alright, enough of that," Touma interrupted, turning towards the door, "Let's not keep the others waiting any longer."

Leaving Nunotaba in her cell, Touma and Mikoto made their way through the building the same way Touma arrived. Soon enough, the pair ran into Kuroko effortlessly fighting off a small handful of Security Robots. When the pigtailed girl saw them, she had more than a few words for the pair.

"What in the world is the meaning of this!" Kuroko cried, "Why is Kamijou carrying Sissy around like she was his betrothed!?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Touma sighed, "She was temporarily paralyzed and was using her ability in a very dangerous way to get her muscles to move, so I'm helping her move around for the time being."

"Is that true, Sissy?" Kuroko asked, seeming a bit more intrigued than necessary.

"Unfortunately, yes," Mikoto lamented, "But enough about that for now. Let's just get out of h-"

Sadly, for Mikoto and Touma, Kuroko was quick to use the situation for her own benefit. As soon as she heard that Mikoto would be unable to fight back, Kuroko teleported herself into Touma's arms and on Mikoto's lap, cutting her off from what she was about to say.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Touma asked in complete confusion.

"Hitching a ride, of course!" Kuroko cheered, wrapping her arms around Touma's neck, "If we're like this, Sissy has no way to rebuff my affections and the three of us can share some quality time together."

"Kuroko! Get off us this instant!" Mikoto demanded, desperately trying to zap her roommate despite being affected by Imagine Breaker.

"Seriously! I can't carry both of you at once!" Touma begged, his muscles starting to burn.

"You can handle it just fine," Kuroko waved off the topic, "Let's just get going! I think we can all agree we've overstayed our welcome."

"I hate this! I hate this so much!" Touma whined with pained breathes as he ran out of the building, "Damn my rotten luck!"

* * *

By the time everyone returned to the 177th Judgement Branch Office, the neurotoxin Mikoto had been injected with had completely worn off. At which point, she shoved Kuroko off of her and jumped out of Touma arms, once again allowing her access to her ability. With the usual power dynamic restored, Mikoto wasted no time unleashing on Kuroko some much deserved electrical punishment. Sadly, the pigtailed girl's masochistic nature meant the punishment was far less effective than is should be, but it did make Mikoto feel better. Touma, for his part, simple watched, not feeling like getting in between the feuding Tokiwodai students.

After that little incident was taken care of, everyone gathered around the branch office's coffee table to recap everything they have learned regarding STUDY's plans and discuss their next move. Needless to say, everyone was quite shocked to hear just what exactly STUDY had planned and how massive the potential attack would be. The thought that this single organization would drag the entire city into their personal vendetta was simply unthinkable.

Even if the news was hard to bear, it at least gave the Judgement team more to work with and potentially enough evidence to get Anti-Skill involved. Now that they knew what STUDY was planning, they had a better idea for what to look for regarding suspicious activity. Specifically, they were on the look out for Powered Suits at the Reach Assembly venues. With this in mind, Uiharu immediately got to work on looking for any Powered Suits stationed at the sites. While she was doing that, the rest of the group contacted Yomikawa to inform her of STUDY's plans in hopes of getting Anti-Skill involved. Sadly, the results were not what they were hoping for.

" _I'm sorry. I really am_ ," Yomikawa said sadly over the speaker phone, " _but I don't think Anti-Skill can get involved in this case._ "

"But why not?" Kuroko asked in shock.

" _The STUDY Corporation, huh?_ " the Anti-Skill officer mused, " _Now that I hear that name, things are starting to make sense. They're fairly new, but they've quickly risen to prominence, forcing out the competition to become our equipment suppliers. They've even put Dr. Bakuya on hold. Their swift assent has been bothering me, but I guess this explains it._ "

"Is Dr. Bakuya okay?" Touma asked in concern.

"Whose Dr. Bakuya?" Saten inquired curiously.

"Doctor Roku Bakuya is one of the Disciplinary Committee's best equipment researchers and developers," Touma explained, "He's the one who invented the ODD that I'm field testing. Last I heard from him he was working on getting a working hoverboard prototype."

"Wow," Mikoto said in awe, "Hard to believe STUDY is so collectively smart that they could outperform someone who could create something as versatile as your ODD."

"Well, his prototypes do have a rather high failure rate," Touma admitted, "But hey, that's research and development for you."

" _Don't worry about the good doctor, Kamijou. He's doing just fine. The funding for his research was just put on hold and he was put on leave_ ," Yomikawa explained calmly, " _Actually, I was suddenly suspended myself_."

"Suspended!? Are you alright?" Kuroko cried in concern.

" _Yeah_ ," Yomikawa replied nonchalantly, " _I'm weathering the storm at Komoe's place. You've met her before, right? Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'm more worried about you guys. Don't do anything crazy._ "

After than unfortunate call, Uiharu had found even more bad news. After looking into the records relating to deliveries from STUDY Corporation and the Reach Assembly sites, it was discovered that they had a multitude of bulk containers delivered to all of them. In addition, there were blackouts in each area during each of the deliveries and many of their records were incomplete, coinciding with the multiple blackouts occurring across the city over the last few days. To make matters worse, based on the number of bulk containers and their carrying capacity, the number of Powered Suits armed with Janie's Diffusion Ghosts numbered well over twenty thousand. This number was confirmed when Kongou and her friends arrived soon afterwards, having reached this conclusion by following Kongou Airlines documentation channels.

"The thing is, since they went through official channels to deliver the suits to all of the various sites, we can't take any preemptive action without Anti-Skill's cooperation," Uiharu explained, "If we do, there's a good chance we'd be arrested."

"Essentially, it doesn't look there's a whole lot that we can do until they make their move," Konori summarized.

"The we have to find this Janie girl and stop her somehow," Saten protested.

"Yeah, but we have no way of knowing where she is until she activates her ability," Kuroko pointed out.

"Which means we have to allow the attack to begin," Uiharu lamented.

While everyone else was arguing back and forth for any ideas as to how they would deal with the incoming threat, Mikoto was completely lost in thought. STUDY was constantly several steps ahead of them. They seemed to have an answer for everything Judgement and Anti-Skill could possibly do. The people of STUDY claimed to be geniuses, and they had the foresight in their plans to back up that claim.

"What's on your mind?" Kuroko asked in concern, noticing how quiet Mikoto had become.

"Please, tell us," Kongou begged, equally concerned.

"I just want to save Febri," Mikoto admitted, eyeing said girl, sleeping peacefully, "and her Janie as well. I want to save Nunotaba, who right now is still imbedded with the enemy. And, of course, I want to protect Academy City. I also… I want to keep every single one of you out of danger. So I wonder, am I just being selfish?"

"Well if you are-" Kongou began to say but was quickly cut off.

"Well if that's the case, I have to admit I'm selfish too," Saten cut in, "And actually, I may be worse, because I want all of that and on top of it, I want you to stop looking so miserable."

"Me too! I've been able to make so many happy memories after meeting all of you," Index poured out, "I want to make even more happy memories. I don't want to see you so upset."

"Saten and Index are right," Kuroko added, "Even when things are going as well as they can, you still seem to find something else to worry about. It makes it hard for the rest of us to really relax, you know?"

"That's true. Cheer up. We can do this if we all work together," Konori encouraged.

"That's right," Uiharu agreed, "Together, there is nothing we can't do!"

"I-I believe so as well," Kongou stuttered, "Together, we are unstoppable.

"It won't be easy," Awatsuiki noted, "But when this is all over…"

"We'll still be standing shoulder-to-shoulder," Wannai finished the thought. We'll have a happy ending, you'll see."

Looking around her, Mikoto couldn't help but be grateful to have such wonderful friends. Upon seeing her concern, they all did whatever they could to encourage her and cheer her up. Everyone except Touma, who simply stood across from her, smiling. She knew very well why he didn't say anything; because he didn't need to. He had told her everything he needed to a long time ago.

"I'll make sure everyone can walk away from this with a smile."

These were the words he told her all that time ago during the Level Upper Case. It was a promise he made that day that he made sure to keep. It was a promise he kept with every crisis he had faced since then, even after he lost his memory. It was a goal he always reached out for, even if it seemed too far away to grasp. Yet somehow, he always achieved it, despite his opposition, his powerlessness, and his luck. It was the simple wish to see everyone survive a crisis satisfied, and it was a wish Mikoto now held as her own.

"Thank you, everyone," Mikoto said in a near whisper, more at ease than she had ever been in a long time.

At that moment, the sleeping Febri woke up, mildly surprised to see all of her friends gathered in the office.

"Oh hi," Febri said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Everybody's here."

"That's right," Mikoto smiled at the little girl, "We are all here, and we're about to see if we can get Janie. Would you like to come along with us?"

As soon as she heard her sister's name, the little girl beamed like a ray of sunshine.

"Yeah!" Febri replied jubilantly.

With that decision made for them, the group of students immediately got to work preparing their final countermeasure against STUDY's attack. Konori made a few calls to some close friends and allies. Among that list of people was her roommate and fellow Judgement Officer, Aomi Yanagisako, someone who the Judgement Chief knew she could always count on. Kongou contacted her father, asking him for a favor that most parents would be out of their minds to fulfil, but not the patriarch of the Kongou family. After all, he was sure his daughter had a good reason for making such a request. In Saten's dorm, the girls currently living there were busy as bees, with Uiharu helping Febri making a gift for her sister and Index and Saten furiously studying a set of booklets gifted to them from Kongou. Mikoto and Kuroko were making preparations to seek out early in the morning, as interception was key to their plan. And finally, Touma was ensuring that his equipment was all set and ready for the fight ahead. It was the biggest fight any of them had faced yet, so it preparation was key.

* * *

When Touma got up early that morning, the sun had yet to rise and it was still dark out. Seeing as he had managed to not run late so far, he quickly gathered his equipment, clasping his ODD bracelet to his wrist and tucking his four-leafed-clover pendent under his shirt for safe keeping. Quietly, he tiptoed his way through the apartment as to not disturb his sister. After all, this was a fight with an underworld organization he was picking; definitely the worst kind of fight she wanted him getting involved in.

However, as he reached the front door, Touma noticed something peculiar. His Shizuri's shoes were missing, suggesting that she had left even earlier than he did.

Something didn't add up. Normally, she texts him ahead of time if she's going to be busy on a job. Of course, she never goes into the specifics of what the jobs are, but she at least tells him enough to know that its nothing to worry too much about.

"What could she be doing right now?" Touma mused to himself before pushing the thought aside and moving on his way.

It was clear from the shoes being missing that she left of her own accord and was not kidnapped or anything of that nature. Even if something bad did happen, she was a Level 5 and was more than capable of handling herself. For now, Touma had to focus on someone else he knew was in need. Someone who needed his help right now.

* * *

Deep within STUDY's base of operations, the disgruntled researchers were eagerly making final preparations. Sunrise was ten minutes and way, more than enough time to do final checks and ensure everything runs according to plan. After so much hard work and research, they were finally going to be able to show Academy City what exactly they were capable of. After years of having their own efforts and abilities overlooked in favor of those whose natural talents were far more fantastical, they would be able to present the fruits of their labors in a way that no one would be able to ignore.

The only person not reveling in this moment of triumph for the organization was Nunotaba, who was making final preparations on Janie while under close observation. Just as she predicted, STUDY was not so quick to eliminate her, but they were not gullible enough to allow her the same freedom she had before her betrayal, not that it was much freedom to begin with.

Deep down, Nunotaba knew that the things she had done were unforgivable. Her past sins would continue to follow her as they lead to more humane crimes. However, she has resolved to do whatever it takes to make up for them, even it is ultimately not enough.

"Now then, time for confirmation," Aritomi announced among his group, "All in favor to proceed as planned?"

A five true members of STUDY raised their hands in response.

"Okay, we're ready," Aritomi said with a satisfied smirk, "Let us begin our Silent Party."

* * *

As the sun rose upon Academy City, Mikoto and Febri waited apprehensively on one of the city's many rooftops. This particular building was located directly in the middle of all of the Reach Assembly venues. If STUDY was planning on attack all the sites at once, this would be the best place to start looking for them.

"You know, you look very nice in that outfit," Mikoto complimented, admiring Febri's new White Gothic Lolita dress, "Is that the gift Kongou gave you?"

"Mhm!" Febri replied, "It's pretty and it reminds me of the one from before."

"One from before?"

"From Shinobu!" the young girl cheered, "She picked it out for me!"

"Is that so?" Mikoto mused with a smile.

Checking the time, the Railgun saw that it was officially sunrise. Standing up, she prepared to engage in one of the biggest fights she and her friends have ever faced together.

"It's time now," the middle school girl declared.

All across Academy City, thousands of Powered Suits activated simultaneously in response to the activation of Janie's Diffusion Ghost ability. They had the same directive programmed into them long before they were delivered to the Reach Assembly sites. That directive? Exit the Reach Assembly sites that they were deployed in and cause as much havoc across the city as possible.

However, that directly was almost immediately put on hold as soon as the Powered Suits reached their respective Reach Assembly venue exists. in the first venue, Kuroko stood proudly on top of the closed gate with two large duffle bags in hand. At the second venue, Konori stood definitely in the Powered Suits' path, sporting her red leather jacket from her days in Big Spider. At the third venue, Kongou, Wannai, and Awatsuki stood side-by-side equipped with nothing but a set of thermoses of water and a short surfboard. And finally, at the fourth venue, Uiharu, Saten, and Touma faced the army of Powered Suits with an army of remote operated Security Bots. Saten sported her faithful baseball bat and helmet, while Touma was equipped with his both is ODD Mark 1 and ODD Mark 2, as well as a single left Kevlar combat glove.

With her sister now using her ability, Febri could sense Janie's presence from anywhere in the city. Eager to see her sister again, Febri frantically directed Mikoto in the proper direction.

"That way!" Febri yelled, point forward, "My siste-"

"Here," Mikoto replied, sticking a lollipop in the little girl's mouth, "Don't forget this."

Now sure that Febri wouldn't grow ill from her body's naturally occurring toxins, Mikoto picked the little girl up in her arms and held her tight. This was their last chance to save Febri, Janie, and Nunotaba from the cruel fate imposed upon them by the darkness hidden within Academy City. If they failed, then those three girls will not be the only ones made to suffer. They had to make this last chance count. With her goal in site, Mikoto ran forward, jumping into the fray to do what must be done. She and everyone she knew had a party to crash.

* * *

Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple

"Welcome back everyone!" Animan cried with gusto, "It's your favorite end card segment, the Animan Temple, hosted by me, Animan!"

"Priestess Number One here to assist as always," Himegami greeted with a bow, "It's a pleasure."

"Quite a bit going on this chapter, huh, Himegami?" the master of the temple mused, leaning on his sword for support, "Lots of exposition and a deeper look at Aritomi's backstory then what was originally given. I'd say that's a much improved set up for the character as a potential sympathetic villain, right?"

"It's certainly a start," Himegami admitted, "But it's going to need a pretty massive payoff to make it worth it."

"Well, the final chapter is next time, and I've got big plans for a payoff, with the big battle and everything, so well just have to wait and see," Animan concluded, "We'll see you next time for the final chapter of the Silent Party Arc, 'Party Crashers'."

"See you all then," the shrine maiden said with a polite bow.


	50. Party Crashers

**Hello internet and happy Fathers's Day! How you all had a great time with your old man!**

 **Now, the day I am posting this is a very special day, an not it is not because it was Father's Day. Today, I am posting the 50th chapter of this story! We did it everyone! 50 chapter milestone! Woo! But not only is today the day I reach 50 chapters, it is also my birthday! Somewhere in the world when I am posting this, it is June 17, 2019, and thus it has been another whole year since I was born! So consider this my birthday gift to all of you, an consider giving me a birthday gift in the form of a review for this chapter!**

 **Now, I must warn you, this chapter is going to be a doozy. It is easily more than three times the length of previous chapters and more than double the length of the between Touma and Accelerator. This chapter is loooooog! In addition, I have a music selection which I will list below in a little with recommended songs to listen to when reading, just to give this chapter a bit more umph. Cues will appear in line breaks telling you when to start and stop each song. I suggest you find the original version of each song somewhere on Youtube before you start reading.**

 **Songlist:  
-"Sister's Noise" by fripSide  
-"Eternal reality" by fripSide  
-"Future gazer" by fripSide  
-"LEVEL 5-judgelight-" by fripSide  
-"Links" by Sachika Misawa  
-Toaru Majutsu no Index II OST 2 Track 8: Electrical Chase**

 **Quite a lot of fripSide, which I am only now realizing is the Japanese pronunciation of the phrase, "flip side".**

 **Now that the semantic stuff is out of the way, let's look at the reviews you left last chapter.**

 _awardedall: Finally hit the mark. Thanks for the kind words._

 _Healthcare: Glad you liked the last chapter so much. I think you're going to like this chapter even more. Part of the reason the chapter was so long was because I amped up the imagery a lot since such a large portion is fight scene oriented and original content. No plans for Accelerator to appear again prior to his appearance in the Three Stories Arc outside of some potential flashbacks. His mentality will be more reliant on Touma due to their closer connection._

 _felixiglesias8: You will find that out here and now. Glad you liked the chapter._

 _ahsoei: Glad you like how I've handled the blend of stories so far. Magic Side events will be getting more focus in the near future now that the Railgun S events are over. It was simply a matter of how the timeline lined up that kept Magic Side events on the back burner for so long._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Here we are at the climax, and my last chance to do this story arc's original concept some justice. Hopefully, the deeper background of the main antagonist and a much more paralleled story structure thanks to the inclusion of Touma will make the arc much better._

 _mohamadstar94: What can I say? I am Kamikoto trash._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Thanks for the kind words. Here's the thing about Accelerator, he sees himself as a villain, but that doesn't mean he's not a protagonist. The revamped version of his character arc is going to be something similar to what I have for Shizuri: a person with blood on his hands trying to live a peaceful life despite his personal demons. Accelerator is going to try as hard as he can to be the Yuri Suzushina that Touma remembers, but will struggle as his twisted mentality and dark background continue to haunt him. Basically, a more extreme and nuanced version of his canon struggle to live in the light as a being of darkness._

 _janjakennen: I wouldn't worry too much about Hamazura's relationship with Touma at this point. I've already got it all planned, plus Touma's a pretty chill guy. Lampshades will be hung regarding the circumstances though. Again, I already have plans for Shizuri to learn about Magic, and its coming much sooner than WWIII. I won't exactly reveal when though. There's a handful of Magic Side events between know and the Battle Royale Arc, so I'll let you guess until it shows up. With how I've planned everything, Accelerator hanging out with GROUP more post WWIII will definitely be a possibility. As for the Daihasei, the Railgang will assist in some minor ways with Orianna, but I have yet to have the chance to fully read the Railgun Daihasei Arc, so the only thing I really have planned for that is how the climax plays out. However, I can guarantee it will be pretty spectacular. I may add the events of A Certain Scientific Accelerator if I deem them worthy of inclusion. I never got around to finishing the first arc and I've heard some questionable things about its quality. If it looks like I can do something with the events that are completely fleshed out, I'll consider it. Fun fact, this story and A Certain Scientific Accelerator have the same acronym, ACSA. More best friend parallels!_

 _BlueJack22: Eh, I think this one is going to go out with more of a bang than a whisper._

 _OnePunchPlayer: Hopefully my efforts have made this arc a little more bearable for you. Sorry about the lack of Magic Side events. It's just how the timeline played out._

 _Anime-ted Life116: Glad you liked the chapter. I actually foreshadowed Touma duel wielding waaaay back when he first got the Mark 2 prototype ODD, way back in chapter 26, about half this story's current lifespan. You'll see how Touma handles the fight in this chapter. No, Shizuri is not a bro-con. I'm not some degenerate._

 _GENO BERSERK: The thought never really crossed my mind. However, you will be in for a big surprise regarding the Rank 6 Level 5._

 _Herox100: Thank you!_

 _Isokage (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter. Don't worry, I have all the stuff up until post-WWIII planned out with everything you've been wishing for. If you want to see a crossover between Animan Temple and Tiger Dojo, I suggest you head over to my collaboration work "Swords of a Brother Unlimited" since that is a Nasuverse crossover that would actually make sense for the Tiger Dojo to show up in._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: Well, I've kept up the good work. You might be surprised to see that STUDY is going to be exactly "silent" following this arc._

 _DATONEGUY (Guest): Glad you like the balance I've struck so much. This is sort of my passion project, so keeping quality up for this long was an absolute must. I like to think the quality has actually improved exponentially since I first started._

 _Kami (Guest): Oh, you know it! I didn't write the longest chapter in my history as an author just to have it fall flat!_

 **And that's all of them. You all know the drill by now right? We've only been doing this for 50 chapters. Woo!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 50: Party Crashers

From the safety of their base of operations, the members of STUDY watched the video feeds from their Powered Suit army in amusement. Stationed at each of the four Academic Reach Assembly venues was a small handful of students, teenagers to be precise. In total, there were eight of them, three at two of the sites and one at the remaining sites each. To the members of STUDY, the sight was so absurd in was amusing.

The odds were stacked against the students and they were outnumbered 2500 to 1. While most of the students were unknown to the researchers, they did not seem to pose a serious threat. While half the students were Tokiwodai girls and thus high level Espers and one of the girls was in command of a sizable number of Security Robots, STUDY knew that even powerful Espers eventually tire and can be overwhelmed with pure numbers. It was a tactic tried and tested by many disgruntled Skill-Out gangs who had the guts to target powerful Espers. Even the urban legend known as Touma Kamijou wouldn't be too much of a threat. The young man may fight and defeat Level 5's on a regular basis, but even he can't fight a whole army singlehandedly. In short, STUDY was certain they had nothing to worry about.

"So, we have some uninvited party guests," Aritomi mused, "Poor things. Facing down twenty thousand Powered Suits? I think we can handle one or two gawky teenagers."

However, his confidence quickly transformed into surprise when the video feeds updates to show that the opposition was far greater than he originally anticipated. Behind the original eight students arrived dozens more, enough to possibly number into the low two hundreds. These new students were equipped with crowd control pikes and shields. The shields were all branded with a green and white emblem depicting a shield and stripes, the same emblem seen on all the students' armbands.

" _You have disrupted the peace of Academy City!_ " Uiharu yelled out for the Powered Suits to hear.

" _You've hurt our friend, an innocent little girl!_ " Saten cried out in outrage.

" _This shield is a symbol of duty_ ," Konori and Aomi chanted in unison.

" _And that duty is to stop you!_ " Kuroko declared defiantly.

" _You may have Anti-Skill under your control, but they're not the only law in this town_ ," Aomi pointed out.

" _You were so worried about locking down the big guns you forgot to account for the hidden blade_ ," Touma remarked, " _Now who's being neglectful of the little guy's capabilities?_ "

" _I say we do this Shirai style_ ," Konori suggested, much to the confusion of the Teleporter.

Acting in unison, every other member of Judgement present pulled on their armbands, making them clearly visible for all to see.

" _Judgement is on the scene!_ " they all yelled in unison for STUDY to hear.

" _Eh!?_ " Kuroko cried in confusion.

For a moment, a look of concern washed over Aritomi's face. As a testament to his own genius, he had taken every precaution to lock-down any resistance he and STUDY could have faced. He gained influence over Anti-Skill and suspended troublesome figures within the organization. He delivered the instruments of his revolution through official routes so that if they were ever discovered by nosy Judgement Officers, the students would be in the wrong if they acted out. However, he never would have expected the students to stage a large-scale counterattack, especially with how outnumbered they were.

Despite the new opposition, Aritomi remained calm, quickly recomposing himself. It was just a simple matter of the Powered Suits slipping and/or breaking past the forces of Judgement. Surely, twenty thousand autonomous Powered Suits could handle that.

"Proceed as planned," Aritomi ordered the rest of STUDY, "We will not let this stop us."

* * *

" **Sister's Noise" by fripSide [Start]**

* * *

At Kuroko's venue, the Powered Suits made a mad charge for the gate, intending to plow through all the students and escape into the city. The first Powered Suit rammed straight through the iron gate but was stopped by a group of Judgement Officers intercepting it with their crowd control shields, holding it in place. With the suit stopped in its tracks, Kuroko reached into her duffle bags and pulled out three javelins. She then teleported the javelins into the halted Powered Suit, effectively making it incapable of function and thus useless to the Diffusion Ghost operating it.

Charging ahead of the rest of the Judgement officers in her group, the Level 4 teleported into the air and pulled out another set of javelins. With practiced and trained precision, she teleported her weapons into the next wave of Powered Suits, causing them to stumble and collapse on the ground, no longer operational.

"By all means, come and get it!" Kuroko dared, standing on top of one of the fallen Powered Suits, "I am Kuroko Shirai, Sissy's right-hand gal, and by my pledge, none of you will get past me!"

At Konori's venue, the chief of Judgment Branch 177 and her deputy was expertly directing the many Judgement Officers under their care on how to attack the Powered Suits. Since only a small portion of Judgement were high level Espers with considerable combat strength, overpowering the massive number of Powered Suits was not an option. Instead, the plan was to exploit the simple programming that the Diffusion Ghosts operated on to keep the Powered Suits distracted.

One Judgement Officer would attack a Powered Suit with a crowd control pike, gaining its attention and getting its to follow him/her. Then, a group of shield wielding officers would rush in and block the Powered Suit's path, giving the previous target the chance to escape. From there, another officer would attack the Powered Suit from the other side and the process would repeat for as long as possible.

"Careful now! Don't forget our main objective," Konori ordered over her commlink, "to prevent these things from leaving the premises!"

Over at Saten, Uiharu, and Touma's venue, they and their group of Judgement Officers were using a similar tactic, made simpler by Uiharu's use of Security Robots and Touma's Imagine Breaker.

"We're buying time!" Saten called out, slamming her bat into a Powered Suit to gain its attention, "Misaka is sure to come up with something!"

"I for one am glad that these machines are run with simple, easily controlled programming!" Uiharu yelled as she typed away at her handheld, sending another squadron of Security Robots to distract a Powered Suit.

"Even if they are effectively robots, they're still operated by an Esper ability!" Touma cried as he charged at a Powered Suit, "Which means, I can still do this!"

With his two ODDs in hand in baton mode and a bracelet on each wrist, Touma parried the Powered Suit's crowbar as if he was wielding a pair of duel swords. Knocking the robot's weapon out of its hand, the unlucky Level 0 tossed the Mark 1 in his right hand aside gave the machine a quick tap. Instantly, the sound of shattering glass rang out the Powered Suit fell limp, the Diffusion Ghost dispelled. Turning his attention to another Powered Suit, Touma passed his Mark 2 over to his right hand and shifted it into spear mode. With a boosted throw curtesy of the later model's additional thrusters, he lodged his Mark 2 into the headpiece of the Powered Suit, cracking its visor and earning its attention. With the second suit now charging at him, Touma mentally recalled the Mark 1 back to his right hand in staff mode and did the same.

"My biggest weakness is normal weaponry," Touma yelled as he pole vaulted over the second Powered Suit, "but STUDY did me a favor and made all their machines easy target!"

As he jumped over the Powered Suit, Touma abandoned his Mark 1 on the ground and grabbed his Mark 2, still lodged in the suit's headpiece, with his left hand. The force of Touma's jump and subsequent grab knocked the machine off balance, tipping it over on to its back and giving Touma a gentler landing. Once on the ground, the high school boy gave the Powered Suit a quick slap on the head with his right hand, dispelling the Diffusion Ghost with Imagine Breaker.

At Kongou. Wannai, and Awatsuki's venue, the trio of Tokiwodai girls had a more offensive take on their agreed battle tactic. Manipulating the water she stored in her thermoses, Wannai attacked several Powered Suits with a simple water whip, drawing their attention towards her and Awatsuki, the latter of the girls carrying the former in her arms.

"First you pick a target," Wannai summarized as she returned her water whip to one of her thermoses.

"Then it's all just a matter of maintaining aggro!" Awatsuki concluded, rushing off with several Powered Suits on her tail.

With a combination of Wannai's Hydro Hand ability and Awatsuki's Float Dial ability, the two were able to create a very effective mode of transportation. By manipulating a small amount of water under Awatsuki's short board and increasing the buoyancy of said shortboard, the two Tokiwodai girls were able to create a small, localized wave of water that allowed them to freely surf anywhere on the battlefield. With their superior mobility, the two girls were able to stay well ahead of the Powered Suits pursuing them and lead them straight to the waiting Kongou.

"Those are my friends. Don't you even think about harming them," Kongou declared, opening her fan to prove a point, "I simply won't allow it."

As soon as the Powered Suits were in range, the Level 4 Aero Hand user sprung her skillfully planted trap. On the ground in front of her were several ejection points she had placed ahead of time. Once all the suits were in position, she activated all of them, releasing multiple massive jets of air underneath the suits' feet. These geysers of air were several meters high, launching the Powered Suits caught in them just as high. When the geysers ceased, the suits fell to the ground with enough force to scatter their pieces everywhere, leaving them unable to function.

All across Academy City, Judgement was fighting with everything they had to keep this army of Powered Suits contained. They used every strength, skill, ability, weapon, and tactic available to them to make sure the job was done. STUDY had planned to threaten the entire city, but Judgement wasn't about to let that happen. So long as there was something worth protecting within Academy City, Judgement would step in to do what they could to help.

* * *

"They're better than I expected," Sakurai mused as she watched several of the video feeds from their Powered Suits go dark as the suits were disabled.

"Yeah well, our attrition rate is still running at less than 2%," Sekimura pointed out confidently, trying to find a reason to not have to worry too much about the opposition.

However, Aritomi knew better. This counterattack to their revolution could only have been the work of the Railgun. After all, she was the one who broke into one of their labs in the search for answers and later escape, thus making her the only logical person who would have known enough to organize such a counterattack. Even if she currently wasn't present among those intercepting their Powered Suits, it would be safe to assume that she was somehow involved, undertaking some other related task.

"I want to know where Railgun is," the leader of STUDY ordered, "Once you do find her, let Kosako and Madarame loose."

"Nunotaba, I'm increasing Janie's operating ratio. Keep everything regulated," Sekimura instructed the imprisoned researcher.

While Nunotaba was obedient in her instructions, her mind was occupied with other things. She was not focused on STUDY's plans, nor was she too concerned with Judgement's counterattack. Rather, she was mentally occupied with her own decisions up until now, the ones that ultimately lead to Judgement launching this resistance.

'Why did I do that?' Nunotaba thought to herself, 'Of all names, why did I give Febri that particular one? Was it because I believe in her? Yes, maybe that's it. I just hope I'm right. And what of that boy, Touma Kamijou? Misaka seems to have a lot of faith in him, but why is that? He doesn't look like anything special. Even if he does possess this mysterious Imagine Breaker and has defeated Accelerator, he's still a pretty normal student. What is it about him that Misaka has so much faith in? Should I be able to believe in him as well?"

Before Nunotaba could come to any clear conclusion, she and the rest of STUDY head a massive explosion, shaking her from her thoughts.

"What was that!?" Sekimura asked in a panic.

"We have an intruder!" Sakurai replied, typing away at her computer console, "Is that… Railgun!?"

Sure enough, on the video feed for the exterior of their base was Mikoto Misaka herself, along with Febri in her arms.

"How did she find this place?" Sekimura asked in utter confusion.

While the rest of STUDY was stumbling for answers as to how they were discovered, it didn't take long for Aritomi to put it all together. When Mikoto escaped from their imprisonment, she was not the only prisoner in the cell. Nunotaba was with her the entire time, the perfect opportunity to reveal the nuances to their plans. With this inside information provided by their treacherous slave, it was became all too obvious how Judgement was able to create such an effective counterattack.

'Damn that girl,' Aritomi growled in his head, gritting his teeth as he eyed the traitor.

* * *

Following Febri's directions, Mikoto had found herself in the middle of one of Academy City's massive sports arenas. It was a special stadium normally used for large events during the Daihasei Sports Festival, the largest annual demonstration of Academy City's Espers. As a metaphor, the choice of location for their base of operations made a twisted amount of sense. STUDY released their army from the Reach Assembly venues, the centers for celebrating scientific research, while pulling the strings from sports arena, the center for celebrating Esper abilities. It was as if to say, "Our intelligence will bring chaos to this city, all because you were all too busy celebrating Espers."

" _Hello, Railgun_ ," a familiar voice called out over the stadium's loudspeakers.

Turning to the source of the voice, Mikoto saw a video feed of Aritomi somewhere within the stadium's lower levels.

" _Sorry for the mess_ ," the man said in faux politeness, " _I didn't expect company, but you seemed to have arranged your own invitation._ "

Reaching under frame, Aritomi pulled out a beaten and bruised Nunotaba. Clearly, the enslaved researcher had been found out.

"Shinobu?" Febri cried, "Shinobu!"

" _And now that you're here, I'm afraid you leave us with little choice!_ " Aritomi declared with a crazed smile, shoving the injured girl out of frame, " _Please enjoy our hospitality!_ "

On command, several hundred Powered Suits rolled out on to the stadium field. In no time at all, they had completely surrounded Mikoto and Febri, leaving them with no means of escape. Looking at all the machine around them, Febri couldn't help but feel a little scared.

"Don't worry," Mikoto said comfortingly, "We'll see her soon enough."

" _All you Espers have one common weakness: you're only human_ ," Aritomi explained rather smugly, " _Which means you will eventually tire. And you are no exception to this rule. I don't care what level Esper you are. When you're this outnumbered, you don't stand a chance._ "

"Yeah, you're right," Mikoto admitted, "If I were all alone, this would be difficult."

Memories of her encounter with ITEM flashed in her mind, reminding her of how painful the struggle was.

"However, things are different this time."

The memory of Touma promising to save her, her sisters, and Yuri flashed in her mind, reminding her of the relief she felt when someone so dear to her heart offered a hand.

"All of us…"

The thought of all of her friends holding off STUDY's army of Powered Suits crossed her mind, insuring her that everyone she knew was trying their hardest for her and Febri's sake.

"… are fighting against you together!"

With a defiant scream, Mikoto released a massive surge of electricity, tossing the first wave of Powered Suits aside with massive amounts of electromagnetic force. Moving Febri to her back, the Level 5 rushed at the next wave of Powered Suits as the previous wave fell on to the ground as piles of scrap. As ran through the mob of machines, she unleashed uninhibited amounts of electricity upon them all. When she first encountered one of these suits, she held back, believing there to be someone operating it inside. But not this time. She knew they were all empty and hollow. She would not hold back this time. Determined to get STUDY's control room, she unleashed all her power and used her ultimate attack, her railgun, to utterly decimate the Powered Suits opposing her. Once was once hundreds of suits strong was reduced to a mere couple dozen. However, that didn't mean the fight was over just yet. Soon enough, dozens more Powered Suits arrived to take the place of destroyed battalion.

* * *

" **Sister's Noise" by fripSide [End]**

* * *

"Incredible," Sakurai gasped in awe, genuinely impressed by Mikoto's power.

"We have planned for this situation!" Aritomi barked, determined not to lose, "Activate scenario B-7! Send Kosako and Madarame, now!"

Across Academy City, Judgement continued to fight the army of Powered Suits with everything they had. However, their attack and formation slowly began to erode. For some reason unknown to the students, all of their wireless devices started to malfunction. Communication between the different groups was cut off, as was that between leadership and foot soldiers. Uiharu was quickly revoked of her ability to command her Security Robots, and Touma's ODDs immediately collapsed into stand-by mode, unable to properly connect with their respective bracelets.

"Rotten luck," Touma growled as he narrowly dodged an attack from a Powered Suit he was fighting before backhanding it with Imagine Breaker.

Once the Powered Suit was dealt with, Touma stowed away his malfunctioning weapons and rushed back to Uiharu and Saten to regroup.

"This is bad!" Touma cried out, "STUDY's jamming all our wireless devices! We have no communications and both my ODDs are malfunctioning!"

"Same with me!" Uiharu panicked, "I can't get any commands to my Security Robots!"

"And I think it's about to get even worse!" Saten lamented, pointing towards the venue's parking lot.

Following Saten's directions, the members of Judgement was two new arrivals to the battle. Standing in the middle of parking lot were two massive armored vehicles. They were covered in black bulletproof armor, had bulletproof one-way glass, stood on six legs tipped with massive wheels, and were equipped with twin Gatling Guns. It was the kind of machine one would expect to be used in a full-on war between countries, not so much a rebellion against a perceived oppressive society.

" _It is time for you all to learn a lesson_ ," Kosako lectured over one of the vehicles loudspeakers, " _Intellectual prowess cannot be neglected, or we will all become helpless sheep enthralled by the Espers._ "

" _Would have been a lot more satisfying to go up against Railgun_ ," Madarame mused, " _Well, what are you going to do!?_ "

To the shock of everyone present, the two members of STUDY piloted their machines with no mercy, charging at the battalion of students at full speed and unleashing a deadly curtain of Gatling Gun fire.

"Everyone, scatter!" Touma yelled out the order to everyone within hearing range, taking command.

As the massive machines tore up the venue parking lot, the many members of Judgement ran frantically to take cover anywhere they could. As Touma did the same, he noticed off on his left that one of the officers, a high school girl about his age, had tripped in the panic. To make matters worse, STUDY was wielding their guns wildly, completely oblivious to the fact that they're line of fire was drawing closer to the collapsed girl. Acting quickly, Touma made a sharp turn left towards the girl, picking up one of the many discarded shields scattered across the parking lot.

"Get down!" Touma cried as he pounced at the girl.

Just as the girl was struggling to get up on her feet, Touma tackled her on to the ground and pressed her underneath his body for cover. With the massive shield in his left hand, he planted it into the ground on its side as to cover the entire length of his body, barely managing to block the curtain of fire.

Once the hail of bullets had passed, Touma pulled himself off the girl to give her some space.

"Are you alright?" Touma asked, his breath heavy.

The girl simply nodded with a nod and slight blush.

'This is bad,' Touma thought to himself as he watched the two members of STUDY rampage, 'They're using heavy weaponry on a couple of teenagers. They're completely insane.'

Unknown to Touma, the situation was far worse than he realized. At each of the other Reach Assembly venues, another pair of Large Mobile Weapons was unleashing the same kind of carnage, operated via Janie's Diffusion Ghost ability. At the sports stadium, Mikoto was faced with three more Diffusion Ghost operated Large Mobile Weapons, each one equipped with a Particle-Function Waveform High-Speed Cannon modelled after Shizuri's own Esper ability, and to make matters worse she was starting to get worn out. Now, not only was Judgement severely outnumbered, they were laughably outgunned.

Prioritizing getting everyone to safety, Touma helped the girl he just saved up and ushered her towards higher ground. With any luck, the top of the venue's stairs should be unreachable for the wheel transferring Large Mobile Weapons. Racing towards the stairs himself, the unlucky high school boy was regrouped with Uiharu and Saten. Unfortunately, the two members of STUDY were right on their tails, and outrunning a high-speed, mobile vehicle did not seem to be within the realm of possibility. Thankfully, they didn't have to.

* * *

" **Eternal reality" by fripSide : Start**

* * *

Out of nowhere, a massive white truck of some sort with the words "Kongou Airlines" printed on it raced on to the scene and rammed aside the two Large Mobile Weapons, flipping them on their sides. The massive machine stopped in front of the three students and opened it door to reveal a very familiar teacher.

"Sorry we're late," Yomikawa apologized, greeting the students from the door, "But your friend suggested I bring this along."

"Wait, isn't this…," Saten gasped in awe.

"Let us take care of contacting the other sites, okay," a very familiar student greeted from inside the massive machine.

"It's Haruue!" Uiharu cried in joy.

"That's right! And Banri is helping as well," the Level 2 Telepath confirmed, "We're creating a network of Telepaths!"

True to Haruue's words, several Telepaths of various levels had positioned themselves at the other Reach Assembly venues, relaying messages between one another so all of Judgement could communicate even without their wireless electronics. It was all part of Konori's plan. After all, the only way to beat a chess master with multiple contingency plans was to have more contingency plans.

"Hey Kamijou!" a third passenger on the large truck called out, "Thought you saw the last of me, didn't you?"

"Doctor Bakuya?" Touma asked in confusion as the good doctor climbed down from the vehicle, "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop by and give you this," the doctor replied, pulling something out of his lab coat.

At a first glance, the object the doctor brought along didn't look like anything special. It was just a simple metal disk no larger than a dinner plate with what appeared to be a touchscreen on one half of its face. However, a simple press on said touchscreen expanded the disk into the form of a shortboard.

"Is that…," Touma gasped in awe.

"It is," Dr. Bakuya smiled proudly, "The first working prototype of my experimental hoverboard, capable of interfacing with your ODD's systems and has voice command and A.I. assist in the event it can't connect. I was hoping you could do some field testing for me."

"And you can start by heading for the sports arena in District 7," Haruue added, "According to the Telepath Network, Misaka's there right now surrounded by several Powered Suits and Large Mobile Vehicles. It looks like she might need some help."

" _I see we're not the only ones to have a couple of new toys_ ," the voice of Kosako echoed behind the group.

Turning around, the group of Disciplinary Committee officials and associates looked on in horror to see that the two Large Mobile Weapons had recovered from the previous attack and now had their Gatling guns trained on them.

" _Too bad you won't get the chance to use them!_ " Madarame taunted as he and his partner prepared to fire.

Unfortunately for STUDY, something else stepped in to interfere with their attack. Just before the vehicles fired their weapons, two small objects bounced on the tops of each of them. As soon as they made impact, the two objects exploded with a splat, leaving behind massive blotches of an orange substance on the windshields of vehicles, blinding the pilots.

" _What is this!?_ " Madarame cried in confusion, " _Is this paint!? Who attacks with paint!?_ "

"Veterans of paintball, of course," a familiar, cheeky voice called out, "I thought you guys were supposed to be geniuses?"

Turning towards the source of the voice, Touma was rather surprised to see just who had arrived to save the day. Standing on top of one of the many cards scattered about the parking lot was Motoharu Tsuchimikado himself, equipped with a paintball rifle in his hands and two more paintball grenades attached to his belt.

"Tsuchimikado?" Touma asked in confusion, "What are you doing here? And what's with the paintball gear?"

"Saving your sorry ass, obviously," the blond teen grinned, "Sorry it took so long. We had a lot of paintball gear to prepare."

"'We'?" Uiharu asked, puzzled by the choice of words.

On cue, six more students came out from behind the car Tsuchimikado was standing on top of, among whom included Pierce Aogami and Seiri Fukiyose. Each of the students was equipped with a couple of paint grenades and some form of paintball gun. For most, it was some form of assault rifle model, while for Aogami it was a sniper.

"Fukiyose and Aogami too?" Touma asked, his confusion not dwindling in the slightest.

"Tsuchimikado told us about how you were dealing with something big and had to skip on paintball, so we decided to lend you a hand," Fukiyose admitted with a shrug, "We can't let you die on us just as you finally do something worthwhile."

"Harsh," Touma deadpanned, not appreciating the fact that his classmate overlooked all his other contributions to Judgement.

"It's not just us, either," Aogami grinned, "The whole class is helping out, distracting all the other Large Mobile Weapons at the other sites with paintball fire."

"I can confirm!" Haruue called out, "I'm getting multiple reports of students with paintball weapons fighting the Large Mobile Weapons at the other venues, distracting them and jamming their joins!"

"Really?" Saten asked in amazement, "That's pretty intense."

"My class takes paintball very seriously," Touma shrugged.

"You just go help the Railgun," Tsuchimikado instructed, "We'll keep these pilots occupied while you get away on your hoverboard and the girls start up their own machine."

"Can I trust you to do this?" Touma asked wearily.

"Only when it counts," the blond double agent smirked in reply, as did the rest of the students present.

Despite himself, Touma couldn't help but smirk in return. Tsuchimikado was a liar, he proved that much after the Angel Fall incident, but he was still someone Touma could have faith in. No matter how many lies he tells, when the chips are down, the blond Esper/Magician hybrid was someone Touma could trust to get the job done.

With a new plan of attack, Touma grabbed the prototype hoverboard from Doctor Bakuya's hands and started running in the general direction of the sports arena Mikoto was in. After a few taps on the hoverboard's touchscreen, the board's air jets sprung to life and the voice command and A.I. assist activated. With the hoverboard fully active, Touma threw the board on to the ground in front of him and jumped on, immediately taking off through the streets of Academy City.

With Touma on his way to Mikoto's side and Uiharu and Saten making preparations within the machine Yomikawa had brought along, Touma's classmates stepped up to the plate with Aogami in the lead.

"Alright everyone! Let's show these bastards what Year 1 Class 7 is capable of!" the blue haired class representative cried, rallying his classmates to charge ahead.

As the two STUDY pilots struggled to clean their windshields and regain their visuals, the students from A Certain High School continued to pelt them with a curtain of paintball fire from all angles. Up in front, the likes of Tsuchimikado and Fukiyose assaulted the machines with rapid fire paintballs, repeatedly coating the windshields with paint to prevent Kosako and Madarame from seeing what was going on. At the same time, several other students aimed for the joints of the machines, specifically those of the Gatling guns, clogging them with paint and limiting their movement. All the while, Aogami stayed in the back, firing precise sniper paintball shots at sensitive parts of the machine to utterly cripple it, all with his eyes closed.

One might ask how a totally normal high school boy like Peirce Aogami could possibly making such sniper shots while his eyes were closed. In truth, he wasn't a normal high school boy. Unknown to many Aogami was actually a Level 5, the sixth ranked to be precise. As for his ability, it was the ability to see other people's perspectives. No, he couldn't easily empathize with others, rather he was able to hack into other people's brains and retrieve the signals and records that originated from their eyes so long as they were within his hypothetical line of sight. This effectively gave Aogami access to everyone's ocular memories in real time so long as they were within a certain position relative to his eyes. With the ocular memories of everyone attacking the Large Mobile Weapons, Aogami was able to triangulate specific locations and target them with extreme accuracy. This was the Esper Ability known as Mind's Eye.

On a rather unrelated not, this ability is the reason Aogami has such a deep appreciation for all forms of fetishes. Since he can see the ocular memories of anyone who enters he hypothetical line of sight, he has seen all existing fetishes from the perspectives of those who appreciate them and has grown to appreciate them himself. As for why he still bothers trying to peep on girls if he has this ability, the long and short of it is he enjoys the sport.

As Touma's classmates continued to pelt STUDY's machines with paint, Uiharu and Saten boarded the Kongou Airlines vehicle and began to prep it for battle.

"Isn't there a manual for this thing?" Uiharu asked, desperately trying to grasp the controls in the back seat.

"Yeah, Index and I were studying it all night last night," Saten replied, gripping the controls in the front seat.

"So you know how to operate it?"

"Well, I understand the basics," Saten admitted weakly, "But that's were Index comes in."

* * *

In a Judgement Branch Office somewhere in District 7, Index sat in a chair in the middle of the room with only Sphinx and a single Judgment Level 4 Telepath boy as company. They were far from the battle with STUDY, but for their jobs in this conflict they were exactly where they needed to be.

"And you promise you won't look into my other memories?" Index asked warningly, "There will be dire consequences for you if you see any memories that you're not supposed to."

"Of course," the Judgement officer replied, "Just keep the information you want to transmit in the front of your mind and everything else in the back. As long as you do that and I don't go digging, your friends will get the memories they need."

"Alright then," the nun-in-training conceded, "Let's begin."

Taking a deep breath, Index focused on the memory of the instruction manual she had studied the night before. While she herself was extremely inept with technology even with complete understanding of its composition and construction, she could still perfectly memorize everything one needed to use any piece of technology effectively.

Placing his hand on top of the girl's head, the Level 4 Telepath acted as a transmitter, relaying the frontmost memory in Index's mind, i.e. the manual she had studied last night, to those who could use said memory to good use.

* * *

Suddenly, everything within the cabin of the Kongou Airlines machine made sense to Uiharu and Saten. They had a full understanding of every component, every control, every function. The memory of the controls for the machine affectionately named Ekaterina II S by Mitsuko Kongou herself were so clear within the two girls minds, it was as if they had been piloting the machine for their entire lives.

"Alright!" Saten cheered, "We're ready to go!"

"Activating transformation sequence!" Uiharu reported, typing in the now perfectly memorized command into her control console.

Inside the machine's cockpit, Saten's seat moved downward while Uiharu's moved forward, allowing both girls an uninhibited view out the windshield. The exterior of the machine itself changed shape, starting with its overhang canopy splitting in half and swing out to the sides. Next, lower half of the machine folded in on itself, raising the cabin into the air and bring the front and back set of wheels closer together, effectively forming feet and legs. Then, the arms and main engine block and overhang swung downward, forming arms and a body. Finally, the back portion of machine closed around the cockpit, forming the head. What was originally a heavy-duty truck had transformed into a massive battle-ready mech.

"Alright everyone, pull back!" Aogami ordered his classmates from his sniping position, "Let's leave this to the mech pilots!"

Following their class representative's instructions, the students of Year 1 Class 7 immediately ceased their attack and pulled away from the two STUDY machines. With the assault of paint stopped, Kosuko and Madarame were finally able to clean off their windshields. This was a decision they would quickly come to regret, as the first thing they were able to see was the massive mech looming over them.

" _What the hell is that!?_ " Kosako screamed in terror.

" _Pull back! Pull back!_ " Madarame ordered in a panic, putting his machine in a hard reverse.

As his compatriot made a strategic retreat, Kosako tried to do the same but quickly discovered that he couldn't. Thanks to Aogami's sharp shooting and all the paint that accumulated in the joints, his machine's gear transmission had been cut, effectively leaving him unable to change gear settings. With him unable to run away, Kosako quickly fell victim to the massive mech's powerful fist. With deadly force, Saten dropped the mech's left arm on top of Kosako's machine, pinning it to the ground. Once the machine was pinned, Saten activated the mech's pile bunker, devastatingly crushing the Large Mobile Weapon's engine, rendering it useless.

Angered by the sight of his fallen ally, Madarame attempted to retaliate, intending to onload all its remaining ammunition on the offending mech. However, with all the paint that had been plastered on from the previous attacks, that course of action backfired in the most spectacular way possible. With so much paint clogging up the Gatling guns' mechanisms, the weapons ended up exploding from trying to fire. With no offensive options left to him, Madarame was left with only one course of action: run. Unfortunately, even that was outside the realm of possibility for the STUDY researcher as paint caught in the wheels increased friction and made travel much more difficult.

" _Damn! Damn every last Esper!_ " Madarame cursed as he futily tried to fight back.

Even if his machine wasn't clogged with paint in every nock and cranny, Madarame had no chance of escape. In addition to its superior mobility specs, the Ekaterina II S also sported grapping clamps that could be launched and reeled in to capture unfortunate opponents. In this case, Madarame's machine was that unfortunate opponent, and was easily reeled in for the killing blow.

" _You hate Espers? Well, I'm actually a Level 0!_ " Saten announced proudly as she drove the pile bunker through the second machine.

Once again, the tables had turned, this time in favor of Judgement and its allies. With the help of Ekaterina II S and A Certain High School Year 1 Class 7, STUDY was on the ropes.

* * *

When Touma arrived at the sports arena, he could hardly believe the sight. The field was filled with hundreds of Powered Suits, some destroyed, most still operational, all surrounding Mikoto and Febri. Directly in front of the two girls were three massive Large Mobile Weapons armed with additional cannons. On the jumbotron behind them was a video feed of Aritomi, overlooking the whole scene from the safety of his control room.

" _These models are equipped with weapons made analyzing the city's fourth ranked Esper_ ," Aritomi explained smugly, " _Think of it as our version of Meltdowner. Enjoy your firsthand look._ "

'That made those things by analyzing Shizuri's ability!?' Touma thought to himself in horror.

Worried for the girls' safety, Touma pushed his prototype hoverboard to its absolute limit and raced to his friends' side. With Imagine Breaker stretched out in front of him, Touma weaved and bobbed through the crowed of Powered Suits, negating any and all Diffusion Ghosts standing in his path. Unfortunately, but the time he reached them it was already too late.

" _Fire!_ " Aritomi commanded his machine.

"Mikoto!" Touma cried desperately as he reached out to her in a hopeless attempt to push her and Febri out of harm's way.

However, it turned out that not only was the rescue attempt hopeless, it was also pointless. With very little effort, Mikoto backhanded the blast from the machine with an electrical fist, redirecting the blast straight into the jumbotron, destroying it and cutting off Aritomi's transmission. Once the attack had passed, Mikoto finally took notice of Touma's arrival, more or less brushing it off.

"Oh, hey idiot. When did you get here?" Mikoto greeted nonchalantly, noticing the new piece of hardware recently gifted to him, "Nice ride."

"…Thanks?" Touma replied in an unsure tone, "I heard you two were in trouble and came to help as quickly as I could."

"Did you really think I couldn't handle these things on my one?" Mikoto deadpanned, "I've survived a life-or-death fight with your sister before, and that thing is nothing like the real deal."

As if on cue, three Meltdowner beams blasted through the lead machine's cockpit, destroying the hair capsule conduit inside and the Diffusion Ghost projected by it. With its operating system gone, the massive machine collapsed on the ground, making it the perfect podium for the clearly superior Shizuri Mugino Kamijou to make her appearance.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Shizuri growled, three orbs of frozen electrons orbiting around her, "That was the shittiest imitation I've ever seen!"

Turning to the Large Mobile Weapon to her left, she effortlessly destroyed it with some well-placed shots. Detecting a hostile force, the last remaining machine trained its weapons on the fourth ranked Level 5, only for Shizuri to utterly decimate it without even looking.

"Oh, give it a fucking rest!" Shizuri snapped, continuing to assault the last machine, "I'm sick of these pieces of crap."

After efficiently blowing up the last remaining Large Mobile Weapon, Shizuri finally took notice of the three younger children that had happened to see her little outburst. Focusing on Touma in specific, she gave him the classic interrogation glare, a common tool among older siblings for keeping their younger siblings out of trouble.

"Hello, Touma," Shizuri greeted in an icy cold voice.

"H-hey sis," Touma greeted in reply, sweating profusely.

"Care to explain why you, the princess, and the innocent little girl are doing in a stadium filled with weaponized Powered Suits and modified tanks?" the elder sister asked in a cool and collected manner.

"Tracking down the leaders of a terrorist attack in a Judgement run antiterrorist operation?" Touma answered in a way that seemed more like a question, having decided to go with the blunt honest route.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Shizuri let out a long, heavy sigh, as if conceding to the fact that this was a probably going to be a regular occurrence in her life thanks to the double nature of it.

"I'll scold you about this latter," Shizuri sighed.

Resigned to the current turn of events, she blasted a path through the Powered Suits that lead to one of the many doors in the stadium that lead to the lower levels.

"That door should lead you to the masterminds behind the whole fiasco," Shizuir explained, "I'll take care of the rest of these piles of scrap metal. I need to vent on them anyway. Now get out of here before the rest of my team sees you."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Touma stuttered, turning his hoverboard to face the path Shizuri had carved out for them, "Hop on, Mikoto."

"Wait, but-" Mikoto protested.

"I said hop on!" Touma repeated more urgently, prompting Mikoto to hop on to the back of the board and attach herself with magnetism.

With everyone on board, Touma tilted the hoverboard forward and surfed right through the door and down the halls of the stadium's inner structure, leaving Shizuri to unleash her fury on the Powered Suits outside. When Febri asked about Shizuri's more violent outburst, Touma tellingly avoided the topic outright, refusing to answer. There was no scorn much like that of an angry older sister, and Touma would prefer to avoid it as much as possible.

* * *

" **Eternal reality" by fripSide : End**

* * *

As he continued to watch the battle rage on from the various video feeds from the Powered Suits, Aritomi couldn't help but feel his anger rise to a boil. After losing contact with Kosako and Madarame, their revolution only seemed to spiral further into chaos. Attacks from paint of all things caused serious internal damage to many of their Powered Suits and Large Mobile Weapons. Interference from Judgement kept their Powered Suits distracted and contained within the Reach Assembly venues, preventing them from sowing the havoc they were programmed to. A massive mech piloted by a couple of amateur teenagers was making quick work of the Large Mobile Weapons. And worse of all, both the third and fourth ranked Espers were responsible for laying waste so some of their greatest weapons.

This was supposed to be their moment; they're chance to show the city what the as researchers were capable of. It was supposed to be the revolution that changed Academy City's very social structure; the revolution that make the city of science actually value what science was about. Instead, the revolution they planned and worked so hard on was being used as yet another display of Esper superiority; a showmanship of how the fantastical abilities of Espers should be valued over the painfully earned knowledge of researchers. What was originally meant to be their triumphant moment was instead being used as another example of the wonders of Espers.

"It is not over!" Aritomi growled, "It is not over! We have not been defeated!"

"See, that's where you're wrong," a familiar female voice interrupted the researcher's breakdown.

Turning towards the source, the remaining members of STUDY were greeted with the unpleasant surprise of Touma, Mikoto, and Febri standing at the entrance of their control room.

"You…," Aritomi snarled in outrage.

"By order of Judgement," Touma stepped forward, presenting his armband in an official manner, "You are to cease your attack and release your prisoners. You are all under arrest for illegal experimentation, disrupting public peace, and terrorist activity."

"Shinobu!" Febri cried in joy upon seeing the girl that freed her.

"Hi Febri," the injured researcher greeted in turn.

"Well, we came back for you," Mikoto smiled at Nunotaba, "Like I said, when this idiot makes a promise, you can pretty much consider it done."

"… This disgusts me," Aritomi growled, typing away at the main console, "Espers reveling in their triumph!"

Looking at the console her longtime lab partner was typing into, Sakurai's eyes widened with horror upon seeing what exactly the leader of STUDY was doing.

"Aritomi! What are you doing!?" the cofounder of STUDY cried in horror.

"Code input confirmed," the robotic voice of the computers chimed, "Initiating Final Phase."

Suddenly, all the monitors connected to Janie's capsule started going haywire, blaring various sirens and warnings. Up on the surface and around the city, the thousands of Powered Suits operated by Janie's Diffusion ghosts halted their attack, raising concerns among those who were fully aware of STUDY and their behavior.

"No! Don't Aritomi!" Sekimura begged.

"You can't be serious about this!" Sakurai cried in denial.

"You're setting the system to a runaway state!?" Nunotaba asked in shock, reading the nearby console.

"If I force the connection to break, Janie will die," Aritomi explained in a calm yet detached voice, "This is the Final Phase, also known as the last possible resort. I'm going to turn Academy City into ashes."

"Oh yeah?" Mikoto challenged, "And what exactly is your plan?"

To everyone's horror, Aritomi's immediate reply was to pull out a pistol and hold it up to the side of his head. It was obvious what he was planning: a suicide attempt before he himself was caught in the destruction.

"Come now, do you really expect me to tell you?" Aritomi taunted.

"What are you doing!?" Sakurai cried, apparently unaware of this part of Aritomi's plan.

"There's not much time left," Aritomi said, visibly quivering, "I hope you're ready. It's time to die!"

Faced with the inevitability of death, the rest of STUDY clammed up in despair. Watching their leader about to blow his own brains out made them freeze up, unable to process what was about to happen and how to stop. However, before Aritomi could pull the trigger and end it himself, a single voice cut through the silence, bringing everyone back to reality.

"Is this really what you want?" Touma inquired, surprising everyone else present.

"W-what?" Aritomi stuttered, his grip on the gun in his hand wavering.

"Is this really want you want?" Touma asked again, stepping forward in front of Mikoto and Febri, "To end it all right here and burn this city to the ground as your final act? Do you honestly think people will recognize your intelligence by going through with this? If you're really that smart, you should have realized it yourself, but this isn't going to get you the attention you desire!"

"W-what do you know!?" Aritomi asked in outrage, "You're just a Level 0 who happens to have a special right hand nobody can recognize! You're just like me, a person a great potential overlooked by those with more spectacular talents!"

"Even so, I'm content with my lot in life!" Touma countered, holding his position firm, "This right hand of mine gives me nothing but rotten luck, and does me no favors in making life in this city easier for me, but I'm okay with that! It gives me the power to help others, to make something of myself, to give me fulfilment in the simple act of helping others! You wanted to be recognized for you genius, but all you did was squander it! If this city goes up in flames, no one is going to remember you as an intellectual! They won't even remember your name! You'll go down in history as nothing more than the terrorist that destroyed Academy City! Is that really how you want to be remembered!?"

Suddenly, Touma started sprinting full speed at the suicidal man, his right fist chambered back.

"S-stay back!" Aritomi stuttered, gripping his right wrist with his left hand to steady his aim.

Seeing this Level 0 rush at him like a madman, Aritomi's reflexives overrode his cognitive thinking. Before now, he had had hesitations about going through with his suicide. It was a human's natural desire to live, after all, and that desire couldn't easily be overridden. But at the same time, he had to stay true to his convictions. He made his choice, so he was going to see it through. These two parts of his mind were in constant conflict as he held the gun to his head.

However, now that Touma was rushing at him, Aritomi didn't know how to react. He couldn't think straight anymore, and his survival instincts were driven over the edge. With no clear direction on what action to take, he could only do what came impulsively. In this case, that impulsive action was closing his eyes tight and pulling the trigger.

When the gun fired, the entire room fell into silence. No one watching the events that just played out dared to say a word, for they had no words they could use to describe what they saw. The gun had indeed fired, and the bullet was released, but it did not land in Aritomi's head. Rather, it harmlessly lodged itself in the ceiling.

Opening his eyes, Aritomi was shocked to see that in the time it took for him to pull the trigger, Touma had closed the distance between them and grabbed the gun in his right hand and redirected it upward into the ceiling, missing the researcher's head entirely. However, Touma himself did not get through the scuffle unscathed. Although he wore a protective Kevlar glove on his left hand, the hand that was now gripping the gun, the glove does not protect very well against piercing and scraping strikes. Because of how he grabbed the gun and pushed it way, the bullet had shot right between his fingers, tearing through the Kevlar glove and the flesh underneath it, drawing blood.

Now Touma stood face-to-face with Aritomi, with a bloody left hand holding back a fired gun, and a clinched right fist chambered for a punch. Gritting his teeth and steeling his gaze, he looked Aritomi in the eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"If you really wanted to the people of this city to acknowledge you, you should have given them something worth acknowledging. You should have used your intelligence to help the people of this city. Instead, you used it to hurt innocent people in what amounts to a childish temper tantrum," Touma growled, "If you honestly believe that using your talents in this way will give you the recognition you so crave, then I'll shatter that messed up illusion!"

In a single swift motion, Touma pulled his left hand back, taking the gun with it, and launched his right fist forward, unleashing his signature right hook right into Aritomi's left cheek. The impact knocked Aritomi off his feet and on to his back, right into the console he had just used to condemn everyone in Academy City to death. His glasses were knocked off his face, one of the lenses cracking once it hit the floor. The leader of STUDY sat there defeated, still conscious but barely there.

"You know, you're wrong when you say that nobody recognized your genius," Touma added, his voice now much calmer, "I was there two years ago at the Reach Assembly. I recognized your genius and praised it. But looking at where you are now, I can't help but feel disappointed."

Taking a closer look at the boy who just socked him in the face, Aritomi couldn't help but feel stupid for not realizing it earlier. That spiky black hair, that average appearance, that blunt honesty in his words. How could he have missed it all this time.

 ** _Two Years Ago_**

"This is amazing," the young man gasped in awe, marveling at the piece of technology in front of him.

As part of a personalized display of their project, Aritomi and Sakurai created a special program for their nanomachines just for their special audience of one. After loading a few quick commands into one of the containment capsules, the nanomachines, once released, wrapped around the middle school boy's right arm, binding together into a gauntlet of sorts. As for the other capsule, it was programmed to have the nanomachines reconfigure themselves into various handheld objects, simple tools you could find in any workshop toolbox.

"Your invention is so versatile," the young man complimented, "I'm not surprised you managed to win first place this year."

"Thank you," Aritomi smiled solemnly, "It's nice to see someone appreciate our hard work."

"Yes," Sakurai agreed, "I only wish more people could know about."

"I'm sure you'll get there," the spiky hair boy encouraged, "If you keep at it, I'm sure you can turn these nanomachines of yours into something great. If you can turn them into something that could benefit regular people, they'll surely appreciate you and your work for it. You just have to keep researching the topic and find ways to expand on it."

"Perhaps," Aritomi admitted, although he had his personal doubts.

People knew Academy City best for its Esper abilities. Perhaps the best course of action was to create a new innovation in that field.

"By the way young man, could you please tell us your name?" Aritomi asked politely, "You never did introduce yourself."

"Really? Sorry about that," the middle school boy chuckled, "My name is Touma Kamijou. It's nice to meet you."

 _ **Present Day**_

Seeing this boy in front of him, the boy who gave him such encouragement all that time ago that he simply discarded in favor of a path of grandeur, Aritomi couldn't help but drop his head in defeat and disappointment. Not disappointment in how his plans had fallen apart, but rather disappointment in his own inadequacies as a person. Touma had given him a path to follow when they first met, one that allowed him to continue to uphold his belief that research should be done for the sake of knowledge, and he tossed it all aside for what amounted to a get-famous-quick plan. And in the process, he became what he hated most, even more than Espers. He became a researcher who cared from results more than the process itself. But the final nail in the coffin was that he had be proven undeniably wrong. There was no counterargument to be made, no rebuttal to Touma's claims. He was simply in the wrong, and now he had condemned everyone in the city to death, his most foolish mistake.

Meanwhile, Nunotaba couldn't help but watch Touma in awe as he triumphed. All her life, the world had appeared in to be nothing but ugly shades of grays. She saw it as a cold, unforgiving place that would chew you up and spit you at if you weren't careful. She had seen a couple of things in this world that gave it color, like the Sisters and Chemicaloid twins, artificial beings who were far more capable of seeing the world's beauty than she herself was. But now she was faced with something so full of color and warmth it made look everything else look pale in comparison. In that moment, Touma Kamijou looked more radiant than anything she had ever seen before in her entire life. He was a beacon of hope the shone brightly within a world of hash realitys.

'I see now,' Nunotaba thought to herself, 'This is why Misaka has so much faith in him.'

"You're supposed to be a genius, right?" Touma asked firmly, looking down at the defeated leader of STUDY, "Well, here's your chance to prove it. How do we stop this Final Phase of yours?"

"I-I," Aritomi stuttered, avoiding the Level 0's gaze, "I don't think…"

"It's too late now!" Sakurai yelled at the top of her lungs, finally fed up with all the melodrama, "The Final Phase can't be stopped! The plan involves scattering five thousand filaments into the skies of Academy City, and then running the Diffusion Ghost ability out of control, triggering a decay chain in the AIM Diffusion Fields that fill the area! The launch mechanism is located in some construction equipment in stationary orbit, thirty-five thousand kilometers up! Every second, it travels seven kilometers closer to us, so it can't be stopped! Not by anyone! Not even the master of vectors himself could stop that many filaments from reaching the city! Not a single one of you have a chance of stopping it!"

"You're right," Mikoto cut in, stepping forward, "Not a single one of us cab stop it, but that doesn't all of us can't."

* * *

" **Future gazer" by fripSide [Start]**

* * *

Using STUDY's base of operations as their own, Touma and Mikoto used the computers available to them to contact the rest of their friends still scattered across all the Reach Assembly venues. When they told everyone about the impending doom that was STUDY's orbital missile, they all immediately jumped at the chance to help in any way they can. All the while, the remaining members of STUDY sat at the sides of the room in handcuffs, unable to interfere in anyway, not that they would at this point.

" _Hey, Febri is looking flush_ ," Saten pointed out over the joint video call.

"Huh? Show me your lollipop," Mikoto requested in urgency.

"I guess it's all gone," Febri lamented, pulling out the used-up lollipop stick from her mouth.

" _Tell me she has more!_ " Kuroko begged in a panic.

"That was the last one!" Touma cried, clearly worried.

"Let me handle this," Nunotaba interrupted, stepping behind the little girl and comfortingly placing her hands on Febri's shoulders, "It's not a matter of can or cannot, I will find a way. I'll do this somehow. Anything is possible because I know I'm not in this alone."

Despite how dire the situation was for Febri in particular, Touma and Mikoto couldn't help but smile at the sight. For as long as either of them had known the prodigy researcher, she had seemed to be the kind of person who preferred working alone. It was nice to finally see her start to work along with others.

As the team of Judgement Officers and associates continued to work towards stopping the incoming missile, they hit more than a few road bumps along the way. The first of these road bumps was the issue of actually computing the mathematical complexities of the incoming missile. As Uiharu quickly discovered, even if they had all the specs and information on the missile curtesy of the original designer, Judgement's systems just weren't powerful enough to handle such complex calculations in the amount of time they had available. They would need a supercomputer comparable to the now destroyed Tree Diagram or a computer network comparable to the Level Upper Network to be able to run the calculations as quickly as needed. Thankfully, Mikoto knew just the girls for the job, her sisters and their Misaka Network.

As the students worked tirelessly to save their city, Aritomi and the rest of STUDY looked on from the sidelines. Even if these children had foiled his plans, Aritomi couldn't help by admire them. Yes, among the group were high level Espers whom often overshadowed his work as a researcher in the past, but most of them were regular students. Despite their lack of spectacular powers, they were still making an effort to save this city from his mistake, using nothing but their ingenuity and creativity to make the best use of the resources they had available. They were the picturesque example of what he original envisioned research and innovation to be: people working together and sharing their knowledge and skills to solve problems and the mysteries of the universe together. They were the vision he had lost in his quest for recognition.

" _It's an ingenious design_ ," Uiharu explained over a video call, " _When the missiles warhead reaches thirty thousand meters, it's set up to then subdivide into five thousand micro warheads. Once that happens, it will be too late. It's imperative that the missile be shot down before the split occurs, and the only way to do that would be to fly up to intercept it._ "

" _Okay then, what do we do?_ " Saten asked, " _Are we going to send Kamijou up so he can punch the thing and negate all the Diffusion Ghost before the warhead splits?_ "

"Please don't joke right now," Touma complained, "What are you expecting me to do? Turn into a dragon and fly up there myself? I'm only human here!"

" _I could use my Aero Hand to rig Ekaterina II S into a makeshift, multistage rocket_ ," Kongou suggested, " _It will be rather taxing, but I believe I can pull it off if I can pinpoint the exact locations need to maintain a steady flight._ "

"That's a great idea!" Mikoto cheered, "If we do that, Kuroko and I can fly up to intercept the missile, then I can use the mech as ammunition for my railgun and shoot it down. Afterwards, Kuroko can teleport us back to the ground safely."

" _I must admit, it's a pretty good plan_ ," Kuroko reluctantly agreed.

"One problem though," Touma rebutted, "Three thousand meter above sea level is really high up, and you need to go even higher if we want to shoot down the missile before its warhead subdivides. At that high, oxygen is going to be scarce and the temperature will be way below freezing. Unless we happen to have some spacesuits on hand, I don't think intercepting the missile like that is going to be very effective."

"Then what do you suggest?" Mikoto inquired, dying to hear Touma's alternative answer.

"I think I may be able to help," a familiar voice cut in.

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Mikoto and Touma were rather shocked to see Aritomi of all people offering his help. Although he was still shaken from Touma's earlier punch, he was standing on his own two feet with his hands still bound by handcuffs and his head hung low.

"I have a set of items in storage here that can be of use to you," Aritomi explained in a calm and honest voice, "They are part of an old project Sakurai and I worked on together. If I can retrieve them, I can program them here to serve your purposes."

"Why should we trust you?" Mikoto asked somewhat bitterly.

Further adding to the student's shock and confusion, Aritomi fell to the ground on his hands and knees, his face hidden behind his hanging head.

"Please, let me do this," the leader of STUDY begged, "This is all my fault. This city is in danger because of my misguided ambitions. Just please give me the chance to try and fix this. Let me have the chance to actually make my intelligence useful to the people of this city, just for once!"

As Aritomi made his plea, his voice and body quivered uncontrollably, The entire time, he was unable to make eye contact with the people he was talking to, constantly looking at the floor in their general direction, showing interest but no confidence to maintain equal footing in a conversation. In that moment, he was simply a man who knew he had sinned and was desperately trying to find a way to make up for it. He was nothing more than a sorry, sad excuse for the man of brilliant intelligence the originally built himself to be.

As the leader of STUDY kneeled on the floor, he was fully expecting rejection. He had done so much to the people before him that he honestly didn't think he deserved forgiveness or even a second chance. He wasn't looking for either of those things. He was just looking for an opportunity to actually do something worthwhile with his intelligence.

However, to his and everyone else's surprise, there was clicking sound originating from his wrists, like the sound of a door being unlocked, and his wrist felt much more comfortable. Looking up, he saw Touma Kamijou now kneeling in front of him, a key in his right hand, a pair of handcuffs in his bandaged left hand, and a genuine smile on his face.

"This old project of yours, where are you keeping it?" Touma asked patiently, picking up the researcher off the ground as if none of the animosity between them had ever existed.

"I-its in a storage room one level below us," Aritomi stuttered, still shocked that Touma would be so accepting of his help, "Look for the silver briefcase and bring it here. You'll also find a duffle bag of the Chemicaloid neutralizing agent in the same storage room."

" _Kamijou, are you sure about this? The man is a terrorist_ ," Konori asked over the video call in concern, " _Can we trust him?_ "

"It's either that, or the whole city goes up in smoke and everyone dies," Touma shrugged as he activated his hovering board, "I be back as soon as I get what we need. You girls work on getting that mech made into a rocket."

As he watched Touma disappear down the hallway on his prototype hoverboard, Aritomi couldn't help but feel a small glimmer of hope in his heart. He was going to pay for his crimes, that much was certain, but that didn't have to be the end for him. He could power through his sentence, whatever it may be, and start over. After all, if the young man known as Touma Kamijou was willing to trust him, a man he has every right to hate, Aritomi couldn't be that hopeless.

* * *

By the time Touma returned to the control room with the briefcase and duffle bag, Saten and Index had arrived on the scene to watch over Febri along with Nunotaba and help her hang on for as long as possible. Once he saw them, he quickly passed the duffle bag of lollipops over to them before returning to the waiting Aritomi by the room's main console.

Having received the new supply of lollipops, Febri quickly began sucking on one of them like her life depended on it, mostly because it did.

"Thank goodness," Nunotaba sighed in relief as she typed away at Janie's console, "This will buy use a little time."

"It's a good thing Touma had that hoverboard thing from that Dr. Bakuya guy," Index mused, "I was worried he wasn't going to make it in time."

"So what now?" Saten asked the researcher, "What's the next step of the plan?"

"First, we need to free Janie from the runaway system," Nunotaba explained, never looking away from her work, "To do that, we're going to need Febri's help. Right now, Janie is in a state where she will accept no outside input, but if we can get a strong emotional response from Febri, who is basically identical to her…"

"That makes sense. Because when all else fails, love can still get through, right?" Saten interrupted, winking.

"Uh… okay…," Nunotaba blushed, looking away, "…yeah…"

While Nunotaba was preparing Janie's capsule so they could free her from the runaway system, Touma and Aritomi were busy preparing the devices the Level 0 retrieved from the storage room. Taking the briefcase off Touma's hands, Aritomi opened the case to reveal its contents. Nestled in the bottom half of the case in specially designed slots were two disks with a single on top of each, the containment disks for Aritomi and Sakurai's joint project from two years ago. Also in the bottom half of the case was an extendable USB cable that Aritomi connected to the main computer console. The top half the case consisted of a touch screen with a list of programs with two check boxes for each item on the list.

Having written the necessary program while Touma was retrieving the briefcase, all Aritomi needed to do was import the completed program from the console to the case. Afterwards, he selected the newest program added to the list on the briefcase touchscreen, " ," and loaded it as the primary program for both capsules.

"it's done," Aritomi announced, adjusting his cracked glasses, "To activate the program, just affix the disk to your chest and press the button. If it works as I expect it to, the nanomachines will form a pressurized suit around the user's body. Once you're done, just press the button again and the nanomachines will recede and deactivate."

"Are you sure it will work?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"Only one way to find out," Touma said, removing one of the disks from the briefcase.

Doing as Aritomi instructed, Touma affixed the disk to his chest and pressed the button. In a matter of seconds, the nanomachines poured out of their capsule and covered every centimeter of his body before linking together and consolidating into a pressurized suit. The suit was solid black with the only not black part being the faceplate, formed by a layer of nanomachines thin enough to see through but strong enough to maintain air pressure. The suit hugged Touma's body closely, creating a less detailed silhouette of himself.

"It works!" Touma cheered in awe, pressing the button again and retracting the makeshift suit, before returning it to suitcase.

"Huh. I guess you can do some good after all," Mikoto mused, mildly impressed.

"Remember, this is just a pressurized suit. It will not supply you with an indefinite supply of oxygen," Aritomi added, "By my calculations, it will at most be able to sustain you for ten minutes given the atmospheric density at ground level."

Taking the briefcase out of Touma's hands, Mikoto quickly made her way out of the building to the launch site of their missile counterstrike operation.

"That will be more than enough time," Mikoto replied confidently as she left.

* * *

" **Future gazer" by fripSide [End]**

* * *

At the launch site, Mikoto and Kuroko were both equipped with the disk capsules containing Aritomi's nanomachines. The two Tokiwodai girls were on board the Ekaterina II S, preparing for launch.

" _It took some doing, but I had Kongou rig the airframe so that all 8092 jet points activate to a precision of 1/1000th of a second. Theoretically, this should work_ ," Uiharu reported over her commlink, " _But, how did you get such a complex calculation done in so short a time?_ "

"Oh, well… you know…," Mikoto stumbled, avoiding the topic of her little sisters.

As Kuroko did some final checks for the machine's launch, Mikoto saw it as the perfect opportunity to get some things off her chest.

"Sorry Kuroko," Mikoto apologized, "I never had any intention of dragging you into this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kuroko replied, much to Mikoto's surprise, "I'm really glad. There's nothing that would make me prouder than having you rely on me to assist you. Your confidence means the world to me."

Surprised by the response as she was, Mikoto couldn't help but feel glad to hear it.

"Thank you," Mikoto said wistfully before adopting a look of determination, "Alright then, activating pressurized suits now."

Following her roommate and idol's orders, Kuroko followed Mikoto's lead as they affixed their respective disks on their chests and pressed the button. In a matter of seconds, they were equipped with full body pressurized suits made from nanomachines, ready for the low-pressure environment of the upper Troposphere.

"All systems are go!" Mikoto reported over the commlink, "Ready for launch!"

Outside the massive machine, Kongou complied with the order to begin the operation. With a pained swing of her fan, she activated the ejection points she installed on Ekaterina II S.

* * *

" **LEVEL 5-judgelight-" by fripSide [Start]**

* * *

With a great rumble in the ground, the massive machine slowly but surely lifted into the air. Once it broke the first 2000 meters, the mech discarded its legs, decreasing its weight and increasing it speed, effectively playing out its stage one separation. With its decreased weight, the incomplete mech continued to rocket higher into the sky, carrying with it Academy City's best and last hope of surviving this crisis.

In STUDY command center where Janie slept, Nunotaba, Saten, Index, and Febri were making final preparations to free Janie from the runaway system. Following Nunotaba's instructions, Saten and Index lifted Febri up to meet her older sister face-to-face. Upon seeing Janie, the little girl began to endlessly ramble on about all the fun times and happy memories she had made with the friends she found in the outside world. All the while, Nunotaba was focused on the console next to Janie's capsule, monitoring the brain activity of the two Chemicaloid twins.

'Please work,' Nunotaba silently begged, 'I know I'm asking for more than I deserve at this point. If not for me, for them. Let Febri's emotions get through to her sister.'

Outside, the Ekaterina II S rocket just passed the upper bounds of the cloud layer, climbing past the 7000 meter mark and discarding its arms in a sort of second stage separation. Inside the cabin, Mikoto and Kuroko held on for dear life as the rocket shook and exterior oxygen grew thin. Thankfully, the suits Aritomi programmed worked perfectly, keeping the air pressure within their suits identical to how it was on the Earth's surface.

'This processing speed can't keep up,' Nunotaba lamented in her head as it became obvious that the computers would not be able do the job she required them to do on their own.

However, that despair quickly turned into surprise when she saw processing power suddenly increase.

'Outside interference?' Nunotaba thought in confusion.

" _I will give you a hand, okay? Asks Misaka, retroactively seeking approval after having already acting_ ," a Sister informed Nunotaba over the commlinks.

"Why would you do this?" Nunotaba asked in confusion.

" _To say thanks for the fragments of our mind we received from you_ ," the Sister replied simply.

"Your mind… I…"

" _By the way, this MIsaka's serial number is 19090._ "

Nunotaba recognized that serial number all too well. It was the Misaka she tried to give genuine emotions to the whole network through during her attempt to stop Project Level 6 Shift before being caught by ITEM and sold to STUDY. An attempt she had, up until now, believed to have failed.

"Do you mean… what I did before… it reached you?" Nunotaba asked with uncertainty.

" _That's right_ ," Misaka 19090 replied, " _And moreover, those two girls have a thought base program that is identical to the MIsakas. Which means they are basically like family to the MIsaka Sisters. Does an older sister really need a reason to want to help out her younger sister? Asks Misaka, adopting a tone wisdom and sisterly affection._ "

When the cabin of the makeshift rocket reached 10000 meters above sea level, the remaining ejection points created by Kongou's Aero Hand ability shut off, leaving the cabin in a stall. Having reached their destination, Kuroko teleported Mikoto and herself to the top of what was left of their rocket. Exchanging a silent nod, the pigtailed Judgement Officer jumped off and entered a freefall while the Electromaster used magnetism to rotate the cabin so she would be between it and the Earth.

With her inherent ability to detect electromagnetic fields, Mikoto located the quickly approaching missile several kilometers above her, pinpointing its location.

" _Like those girl, we too would like to know…_ "

With a scream and right hook that would make Touma proud, Mikoto fired her railgun right at the incoming missile, using what was left of Ekaterina II S as ammunition. With a massive sonic boom, the railgun ammunition rocketed towards the incoming missile at Mach 3, piercing through the body of the missile with deadly accuracy. From her position several kilometers away, Mikoto smiled in satisfaction at her work as a massive yet brilliant explosion went off in the sky.

" _… how bright and beautiful the world can be when you are not alone_."

Closing her eyes in satisfaction, Mikoto landed in the arms of the waiting Kuroko, who was equally as satisfied with the result. With their jobs done, Kuroko teleported the two of them back towards the ground, one jump at a time.

* * *

" **LEVEL 5-judgelight-" by fripSide [End]**

* * *

"Good morning, big sister," Febri cheered jubilantly as she was held up in the air by Saten and Index, "Shinobu! Big sister finally woke up!"

On the console next to Janie's capsule, it was clear as day that Janie's brain activity had risen to that of a fully aware person. Janie had been freed and was finally awake.

"So she has," Nunotaba sighed in relief, touching Janie's capsule, "Good morning, Janie."

"Go on now, Febri," Saten encouraged.

"You have something to give Shinobu, remember?" Index reminded the girl.

Gasping in realization, Febri reached into her bag and pulled out a single, plastic wrapped rice ball. It was a bit misshaped and had bits of filling sticking out, but overall still plenty appetizing. She then held out the rice ball to the girl that was responsible for programming her mind and orchestrating her escape, Shinobu Nunotaba.

"Here," Febri offered, "Take it. It's for big sister and for you, Shinobu. Do you like it? I made it myself."

"You made it… for me?" Nunotaba asked, her eyes watering

"What's the matter?" Febri asked in confusion,

"It's nothing," Nunotaba insisted, wiping away her tears, "There's just so much to do. So many beautiful things I want to show you."

Standing behind the control room's main console, Touma gave Aritomi a firm pat on the back, much to the sinning researcher's surprise.

"Congratulations," Touma said in a very genuine tone, "Your invention just help save Academy City."

"You give me too much credit," Aritomi replied in melancholy voice, "I'm the man that caused the crisis in the first place. You and your allies are the actual heroes."

"Still, you finally made good use of your intelligence," Touma encouraged, "You should be proud of that."

"One good deed doesn't erase years of sins," the researcher countered, holding out his wrists to the Judgement Officer.

Touma raised an eyebrow at the action in response, earning him a sad chuckle from Aritomi.

"Don't act so surprised," the researcher reprimanded, "You're a smart kid. We both knew this was coming."

Sighing in defeat, Touma pulled out a pair of handcuffs, granting Aritomi his wish.

"Haruki Aritomi, by order of Judgement, you are under arrest," Touma recited as he reluctantly slapped the handcuffs around Aritomi's wrists.

* * *

After Mikoto and Kuroko returned to the planet's surface, Anti-Skill arrived to deal with the rest of the aftermath regarding STUDY's failed rebellion. Clean up teams arrived to clear the Powered Suits, forensic teams arrived to confiscate any equipment belonging to STUDY, and detainment teams came to take the members of STUDY in. As the members and founders of STUDY were loaded into an armored vehicle to get them process, Touma was present as the representative of Judgement in the official handing over of apprehended criminals.

"Guess this is it," Touma sighed as Aritomi was next to be handed over.

"So it would seem," Aritomi nodded solely.

"I'm sorry it had to turn out like this," the Level 0 apologized.

"Don't be," the researcher insisted, turning to face the disappointed Judgement Officer, "Truth be told, I'm glad. If it weren't for you, I would not have realized what I had become. I would have remained ignorant to the fact that I had lost myself in my mad quest to get my efforts recognized. For that, I am grateful."

"What do you plan to do now?"

"For now, I'll serve my sentence, whatever it may be," Aritomi summarized somewhat sadly, "If and when I finish it, I'll continue my work, this time following the correct path you showed me. I'll work for the purpose of research itself, never getting caught up in whether or not it's immediately appreciated. I continue working until I can create something that will earn me this city's respect, no matter how long it takes or how hard the struggle may be. I will not stray from my beliefs again."

"You seem to have everything planned out," Touma mused with a smile.

"All thanks to you," Aritomi replied as he stepped into the van, returning the smile, "Thank you, Touma Kamijou. I owe you my life."

"And I owe you mine," Touma answered back as the doors to the Anti-Skill van closed.

As the van drove away with STUDY in tow, Touma pulled out his phone and made a quick call. There were a few people he needed to contact.

"Hello? Doctor Bakuya?"

* * *

Deep within STUDY's former base of operations, Uiharu was hard a work scrubbing down the facility's computers, looking for any important information regarding STUDY's recent activities. More specifically, she was looking for research notes on the creation of Chemicaloids and the stolen files on Touma Kamijou and Imagine Breaker. After she and everyone else learned that the city knew more about Touma's mysterious power than they let on, she knew such a file was absolutely necessary to retrieve.

Sadly, Uiharu wasn't having much luck in either department. looking through all the files, it appeared that everything regarding Chemicaloid research had been wiped clean from the system, with the only surviving copies of the data being stored in auxiliary drives. If she had to guess, the Final Phase of STUDY's missile plan most likely involved erasing all their data as to not let anyone else obtain their research. Thankfully, the most important information, the formula for Janie and Febri's neutralizing agent, was safely stored in an auxiliary drive so the young girls wouldn't have to worry about overdosing on their own toxins.

After that dead end, the young hacker continued to search the data banks until she finally found the second file she was looking for. Locked away in several password locked folders was a single folder labeled "Imagine Breaker". With anxious fingers, she opened the folder to find a single file. However, it was not what she had hoped to fine inside. Rather than information regarding Touma and his mysterious ability, all Uiharu found was a single, five-second-loop video of a tapdancing monkey in a diaper and top hat.

"…Eh?" Uiharu asked herself in confusion.

* * *

Within his tank in the Windowless Building, Aleister Crowley quietly hummed to himself as he examined the files he had stolen. Overzealous as they were, the researchers of STUDY did some very good work on their Project Chemicaloid research. It would be a shame to let such useful research in the development of artificial Espers go to waste, and a crime to let such research fall into the hands of others.

It was a simple matter to hack into STUDY's databases and collect their research notes, as well as destroy all traces of them within their computers. While he was at it, Aleister figured he may as well delete STUDY's rudimentary files on Imagine Breaker. Best to keep the important information close to the chest, no matter how basic it was. The less Touma Kamijou knew for the time being, the better it will be for his plans. Besides, it was always fun to leave behind that video of a tapdancing monkey just to mess with people.

* * *

The ride in the Anti-Skill van was a rather silent and uneventful one. Artiomi and Sakurai sat on one side of the van, while Kosako, Madarame, and Sekimura sat on the opposite side. They all knew they were going to face serious charges for their crimes. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Still, they seemed to be content with their fate.

"Everyone, I'm sorry for dragging you all into this," Aritomi apologized, "In my blind jealousy and misplaced strife, I dragged all of you into my personal vendetta. It is my fault you all are about to be punished."

"That's not true at all," Sakurai insisted, "We are all responsible for this."

"That's right," Madarame agreed, "You and Sakurai may have founded this band of ours, be we all made it possible."

"We chose to follow you," Kosako added, "It was our choice to get involved."

"The blame is as much on us as it is on you," Sekimura included.

"Don't blame all of this on yourself," Sakurai encouraged, grabbing hold of her long-time partner's hands, "This is our burden to carry too, so let us share the weight with you."

Despite the dire situation they were all facing, Aritomi couldn't help but chuckle. It seems this band of researchers was going to stick together through to the end.

"Thank you," Aritomi whispered, "all of you."

Not too long after, the van came to a stop and the back door was opened by none other than Captain Yomikawa herself, who ordered them to all get out and follow her.

When STUDY exited the van, they were rather surprised to see where they were. While they were definitely at a Disciplinary Committee facility, they were not at the facility they were expecting. Instead of the correctional and containment facility used to imprison convinces, the members of STUDY found themselves at the doorstep of the Disciplinary Committee headquarters, where all major elements of law enforcement intersected, including training, weapon development, and regulation.

Following Yomikawa through the building, STUDY was led through a facility that was clearly intended for the development of weapons and other equipment used by all branches of the Disciplinary Committee, including Judgement and Anti-Skill. Soon enough, they found themselves in a very high-tech lab, whose sole occupant stood in the middle of the room.

"So, you're the young researchers that managed to outperform me in equipment development for Anti-Skill," Doctor Bakuya mused upon seeing the captive researchers.

"What's going on here?" Aritomi asked, confused beyond belief.

"Kamijou put in a good word for you," Yomikawa explained as she undid all of their handcuffs, "He told us about your contributions towards avoiding the crisis that was your mistake of a missile and suggested an alternative punishment."

"He suggested I look into all of your research backgrounds, and I must say I was quite impressed by what I saw," Dr. Bakuya added as he pulled up STUDY's individual research profiles, "Multiple honors in chemistry and pharmaceutical fields, built a legitimate business from the ground up after dropping out of school, and of course besting myself in being Anti-Skill equipment supplier. I was especially intrigued by your nanomachine invention. You all have some impressive credentials. It's a shame they'll all be tainted with a criminal record."

"Which is why, after pulling a few strings, we've arranged an alternative to whatever prison sentence you all would have served," Yomikawa concluded.

"What do you mean?" Sakurai inquired.

"I would like to hire all of you on to be part of my research team," the good doctor replied, much to STUDY's shock, "I do a lot of work here developing new and improved equipment to help Judgement and Anti-Skill maintain peace within Academy City. Sadly, I lack the expertise in certain fields, fields you all excel at, that keep me from pursuing certain projects. I would like you all to help me make those projects a reality."

"If you chose to work with us, it will be treated as though you were under a prison sentence," Yomikawa further explained, "You will not be allowed to leave the facility, but you will be provided for. Any money you would have earned had this been a normal job will go to paying off your bail. Once that is paid off, you will be free to go on you own, or continue working here at employees."

"So, what do you say fellas?" Dr. Bakuya asked with a smile, "Want to help keep this city safe?"

The members of STUDY could hardly believe what was happening. When they were arrested, they were all ready to face punishment for their crimes. Instead, they were being given a second chance to make up for their mistakes and pursue the goal they set out for themselves after paying for their wrongdoings. All of this was made possible by some simple persuasion from Touma Kamijou. It was too good to be true.

'It would seem I owe you my life a second time, Touma Kamijou,' Aritomi thought to himself, chuckling.

Looking towards his fellow researchers, Aritomi knew they had all come to the same conclusion he did. A squeeze of his hand from Sakurai served to encourage the leader to speak for them.

"What's our first assignment?" Aritomi inquired, adjusting his still broken glasses.

* * *

" **Links" by Sachika Misawa [Start]**

* * *

The next day, Mikoto, Kuroko, Saten, Uiharu, Nunotaba, Febri, Janie, Nunotaba, Index, and Touma all gathered at Kongou Airlines private airport. After Nunotaba and Janie had been freed from STUDY's control, Febri's reservation at Asunaro Park had been cancelled and arrangements had been made for Nunotaba and the twins to leave Academy City. They were headed to a facility in Russia to get the twins reconditioned and to find a permanent solution to their toxin problem, with Nunotaba acting as their guardian.

Everyone was saying their goodbyes in one way or another. Touma was preparing a camera and tripod to take a commemorative photo. Saten, Uiharu, and Index were bawling their eyes out as they said their goodbyes to Febri. Kuroko was gifting Janie a four leafed clover as a good luck charm and memento of them all. Mikoto and Nunotaba were discussing the researcher's plans for the future now that she was leaving.

"Guess that's it then," Mikoto mused, "So they'll be going to a facility overseas to examined and reconditions? That's too bad, now that we've all become such good friends."

"It's difficult to believe how well everything turned out," Nunotaba added, now dressed in a Gothic Lolita outfit similar to the ones she gifted Febri and Janie, "Almost like the bad parts never happened at all, as if the record of events had been rewritten."

"Oh, really?" Mikoto asked, feigning innocence rather poorly.

"Electronic records can be so, well, unreliable, wouldn't you say?" the older girl inquired, shooting Mikoto a knowing glance, "Anyhow, I get the feeling that some of the human memories have been doctored as well."

"Oh, um… yeah," Mikoto admitted, "Well, if your willing to put differences behind you, swallow your pride, and reach out, the results can be… impressive."

As much as Mikoto really didn't want to, she had turned to Misaka Shokuhou, the fifth ranked Level 5, Mental Out, to help with clearing Nunotaba's records. After all, everyone in Academy City's Underworld had known about Nunotaba being sold to STUDY up until then, so those memories had to be erased if Nunotaba were to live peacefully. It still didn't make the act of asking the Queen of Tokiwodai for help any easier to stomach for Mikoto.

"I guess it's my turn now, huh?" Nunotaba mused as she watched everyone say their final goodbyes from a distance. "It will be okay. I know I can do this. After all, I'm not alone anymore."

"Hey girls!" Touma called out, "The camera's all ready! Get together!"

Getting in position in front of the private jet Kongou had lent them, the girls lined up to for the photo while Touma made some final adjustments and set the timer. Janie and Febri stood front and center with Uiharu and Saten flanking both of them on their knees. Behind them stood Nunotaba with Mikoto and Kuroko on her left and Index farther down on her right. Once he got the timer ticking, Touma quickly ran to join the girls in the photo, positioning himself between Index and Nunotaba. After a flash of light and a click, the camera printed out two copies of the photo, one for Touma's journal and one for Nunotaba, Janie, and Febri to remember them by.

"Here you go," Touma said, handing Nunotaba her copy of the photo.

"Thank you," Nunotaba replied, gratefully accepting the photo.

"You ready?" Mikoto inquired.

"Just about," the older girl answered, "I only wish there was more I could do to pay you all back. I'm really sorry I wasn't able to tell you more regarding the files on Imagine Breaker STUDY stole."

"Don't worry about it," Uiharu insisted, "It's not your fault someone deleted them and replaced them with a video of a tapdancing monkey."

"I still don't get how or who did that," Kuroko mused, "And why leave behind a tapdancing monkey of all things?"

"Well, there's no point in worry about it now," Touma shrugged, "Just keep in contact. If you ever need help with anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call."

"Trust us, just call for help if you need it," Index giggled, "Touma's the kind of person to go halfway around the world if it means saving someone."

"Let's not overinflate that claim," Touma deadpanned.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to jinx it. He might just do it," Saten joked with a grin.

"I'll be sure to remember that," Nunotaba smiled wistfully, "Still, I wish there was someway I could pay you all back."

"Really, you don't need to," Mikoto insisted.

"Actually, I think I may have an idea," the older girl replied.

"And what would that b-UMPH!?" Touma began to ask but was suddenly cut off.

To everyone's surprise, Nunotaba had stepped forward towards Touma and planted a kiss right on his lips, standing on her toes to reach. The girls behind Touma looked on speechless with the young twins behind Nunotaba simply tilted their heads, oblivious to the context of the act. After about three seconds, the young researcher pulled away and stepped back, a small smile plastered on her face and her cheeks a luminescent pink. Touma's own face had become deep red from a combination of shock and confusion.

"You told me to stop telegraphing my attacks, so I did," Nunotaba said after a moment of silence.

"W-why?" Touma stuttered, ignoring the pervious comment regarding her fighting style.

"As a thank you," Nunotaba replied simply, "Plus, from what I was able to gleam from your in-depth file before it was lost, you have a thing for older-sister-type girls. Do I not qualify as such?"

"Um… I guess you do?" Touma answered, scratching the back of his head whilst trying to compose himself.

Satisfied with the answer, Nunotaba gave the rest of the group a quick nod goodbye and ushered the twins inside the plane. Once on they were on board, the plane ran down the runway before taking off for Russia. As the group watched the plane leave, they finally regained enough sense to get out of their shock induced trance.

* * *

" **Links" by Sachika Misawa [End]**

* * *

"Did that just happen?" Mikoto asked with a hit of jealousy.

"I think it just did," Kuroko replied, still trying to process what happened.

"Kamijou really is a lady's man, isn't he?" Uiharu mused.

"That's Touma for you," Index sighed.

"So, how was it, Kamijou?" Saten asked slyly.

"I… guess it was nice," Touma answered in an unsure voice, "Not how I would have wanted my first kiss to happen, but it was enjoyable… kinda."

"Don't you think you should be a bit more upset that your first kiss went down like that?" Mikoto asked, her bangs starting to spark.

"Well, not like there's anything I can do about it now, right?" the high school boy shrugged, "Why? Are you jealous or something?"

"AS IF!" the Electromaster cried as she fired a massive electrical blast at the misfortunate boy.

* * *

 **Toaru Majutsu no Index II OST 2 Track 8: Electrical Chase [Start]**

* * *

Senseing the danger approaching, Touma quickly stepped back and raised his right hand, barely managing to defend with Imagine Breaker. Seeing as Mikoto still looked rather furious, he began running across the airfield in hopes of outlasting her in chase.

"Whoa! Easy there! I was kidding!" Touma cried as he ran, "There's no need to get all violent!"

"Get back here so I can punish you!" Mikoto screamed as she chased Touma in circles, firing ineffective electric attacks all the while.

"Punish me for what!? This wasn't my fault!" Touma yelled at the top of his lungs, "Rotten luck!"

As Mikoto continued to follow Touma on a wild goose chase, the rest of the girls couldn't help but laugh at the scene in front of them.

"Wow! There really is never a dull day in Academy City," Index giggled.

"Not when those two are around!" Kuroko, Uiharu and Saten agreed in unison.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **On this special day in the Animan Temple, the entire central room of the temple was decorated with red, green, blue, and white flags depicting the sword Mugen and confetti was scattered everywhere. It was of course the birthday of the owner of the temple himself, Animan von Elysium X, whom was currently wearing a red, green, blue, and white party hat while blowing sound-makers.**

 **"Happy birthday to me and happy 50th chapter day!" Animan cheered as he waved a pair of flags in the air.**

 **"Please tone it down a bit, Master," Priestess Number 1 Himegami sighed as she ate her cake.**

 **"Sorry about that," the master of the temple apologized as he took of his party hat, "Anyway, that was the end of the Silent Party Arc. I'd say it ended pretty well."**

 **"You gave Aritomi a deeper backstory and a redemption arc," Himegami noted, "I can't say for certain if it was earned or not, but it certainly a nice touch."**

 **"Not to mention I revealed the 6th ranked Level 5 and gave Touma some serious action scenes and a new addition to his harem!"**

 **"Please don't remind me...," the young assistant sulked, "I'm becoming an even less likely option..."**

 **"Anyway, we're going to get back to my birthday celebration for now, so we'll see you all next time for the start of a new original arc with the next chapter, 'Warm Home'," Animan announced with a wave, "We'll see you then!"**

 **"Bye now," Himegami said weakly, still sulking.**


	51. Warm Home

**Welcome back everyone! I've got a special treat for you all, as this is the first chapter of my very first original arc. Don't have a name for it just yet, but hopefully I'll come up with something by the time I wrap this up.**

 **Thank you all for all the birthday wishes last chapter. Now, let's get those reviews responded to so you can get to the new original stuff.**

 _jonathanblade00: Thank you so much! I wanted to give Touma plenty to do, while at the same time not taking away to much from the original cast. At this point, the only people not affected by Kami-yan Disease are those who see him as a brother, guys, and those who ship him with other people to begin with._

 _Herox100: Glad you liked the music. It's been a while since I found a scene were some music could enhance the experience, and Silent Party was just full of them._

 _BlueJack22: I can see why some people might not like the paintball scene. I just always found it weird that STUDY wasn't able to recover before_ _Ekaterina_ _II S transformed, so I wanted something that could feasibly keep them distracted long enough for Saten and Uiharu to get started. Plus, it was a great opertunity to reveal the 6th ranked Level 5 to the audience._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Glad you liked the finale. Aogami being the Number 6 has been in the cards for a long time in all honesty. Silent Party just gave me the perfect medium to bring it to light. Going to have to wait a few more chapters for Three Story Arc, but that doesn't mean magic is going to be put on the back burner again. Just wait until you read the chapter._

 _Aminadab Brulle: Glad you liked the chapter. Sadly, Three Stories Arc is not coming out just yet. Neither is Touma's response to Mikoto's confession. That's for much later. As in, Index II later. But don't worry, it's coming. As for Liberal Arts City, I'm actually planning on skipping that since they're be no way to get Touma involved, making it redundant, and I have yet to find somewhere where I can read the original short story in English for reference._

 _Healthcare: Glad you like what I'm doing with Shizuri character. I think the fight was one of the most expansive I've every written. While it reuses a lot of what was used in the anime, it adds a whole lot more with the added skills of new characters. While I am disappointed I wasn't able to get you to care too much about my version of the arc, I am glad I was able to make the arc actually matter in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, longer chapter meant more susceptible to errors, an especially glaring error was the fact that the site erased a file name in the story since it recognized it as a link. Maybe I'll get around to fixing that._

 _Anime-ted Life116: Oh, trust me. Trying to get the timeline to work right is no small feat. I'm surprised I've made it this far without the timeline completely falling apart. As you've guessed, there is a lot to expect with STUDY now working as part of Dr. Bakuya's research team. Of course, those innovations will be a long time coming. Good science takes time, after all. Nothing I write in the story is unintentional. No threads will be left hanging! This I swear! On that note, of course there's going to be an Endymion Incident! I wouldn't have mentioned the space elevator if there wasn't._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: That's always been my core formula. Keep the general structure the same, but change the intricacies behind it. It's the same story, but different. My first original arc is here, so let's hope it lives up to expectations._

 _Reader2001: Glad you liked the chapter. In-character doesn't always mean sit well with the fans, I always say. Just look at Shinji Ikari. Nope, he really did say gawky, as in clumsy or ungainly._

 _MrQuestionMark: I have to agree, the whole arc as I wrote it felt hit or miss, but I feel like I had a lot more hits then misses. This is especially true for the last chapter. I am glad I nailed the finer details with expanded backstories and motivations. I feel like a major flaw with the Silent Party Arc was the fact that Aritomi, as an antagonist, did not juxtapose with Mikoto very well. Mikoto's arc was about her learning to rely on her friends more, while Aritomi didn't really have a solid arc. I feel like my inclusion of Touma really fixed that, making it so Aritomi's arc was of a man of greatness seeking recognition in a misguided way as juxtaposed by Touma's arc as a relatively normal man who does great things and gains recognition while never seeking it out. And as we all saw, this change and chance for Aritomi to have a redemption arc opens the door for him and the rest of STUDY, giving them a chance to play a much larger role._

 _mohamadstar94: Thank you so much._

 _ahsoei: Hindsight's 20:20. Shizuri really should have had at least one more scene slipped in there somewhere._

 _felixiglesias8: Well, Class 1-7 has always been pretty close knit. I mean, just look at their performance in the Daihasei._

 _OnePunchPlayer: Thanks for the kind words. Wish I knew what anime you were comparing to._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you so much!_

 _Isokage (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter. Other characters will be joining Touma in escapades outside of Academy City. It would be redundant of me to include those arcs if I didn't add more cast members. Who they are will be a surprise. If Accelerator had a pet, I'd say it's be a fluffy bunny to help with anger issues. If it works for literal half-demon Tom Lucitor, it could work for emotionally scared Yuri Suzushina. Plus, bunnies are adorable._

 _DATONEGUY (Guest): Thank you so much!_

 _Lone Sheep (Guest): Thanks for the kind words!_

 _Robby (Guest):_ _Akan membantu jika Anda mengatakan sedang menulis dalam bahasa Indonesia._ _Hubungan membutuhkan waktu untuk berkembang. Saya tidak akan tergesa-gesa menuju kesimpulan tanpa keduanya terjadi setidaknya beberapa tanggal tes pertama._

 _Stitches (Guest): If that's the case, I'll consider it. I'm still a long bit away from reaching those events, so I have time to decide. As soon as I got started on planning the Silent Party Arc, I was already brainstorming ways to make it more believable and fix some of the scientific flubs J.C. Staff was known for making in its original content. Did the same thing with the Poltergeist Arc by outright avoiding the beam struggle between Mikoto and Therestina in the finale. I'm not about deliberate, huge changes. For me, it's all about the small changes that snowball later on into huge changes. So don't worry, Accelerator is getting that head injury. Of course, that's not to say it's never going to get completely fixed at some point._

 _janjakennen: Glad you liked the chapter. As you'll see in this chapter, this new, original arc will include both science and magic. You just have to wait and see who exactly are the players in this round._

 _5waydragon: Knowing those two, Tsuchimikado definitely does and they just never told Touma because he never asked. Don't worry about me. I've got a full body rubber suit on stand-by._

 _GhostlyStranger: Well, it wouldn't be an "A Certain" story if an arc didn't end in a manner like that. Really, who doesn't like to mess with people every so often?_

 _Sword-of-Solomon: Glad you liked the chapter. I never write anything without intention. It may sound like an over-the-top snark, but it will come to a head eventually... in a couple of years given my current rate._

 _Lalrin Mawia: Thank you!_

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Well, maybe I'll figure out what's missing some day and implement it in future chapters._

 _Ryder (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter. I wouldn't worry too much about the original arc. I've already have everything planned. Just need to put it to text._

 _thewiseguyalex: Glad you liked the chapter. Patience is a virtue, my friend. I have well established myself as Kamikoto trash, so I will become a thing in this story eventually, just not right now._

 _GENO BERSERK: Aihana is so unknown, I'm pretty sure the other Level 5's don't even know him either. He didn't even show up for the New Years Show in A Certain Idol Accelerator. When a supposed idol isn't even known, you know they're secretive._

 _ArcaRoz: Thank you so much! I'll be sure to meet everyone's expectations when I get to those arcs. I have big plans, and I intend to see them through._

 _LegallyRestricted: Had to get a Touma punch in there somewhere. Touma's Harem seemed a bit small for where I was in the story, so I decided to pump in a new addition. As I've said in story, STUDY has a lot of potential. I'd be a shame to let it go to waste._

 _Percyfan1998: In my defense, Aritomi always seemed more like a Touma antagonist to me, being someone who was misguided and could be reasoned with. His arc also didn't mesh as well with Mikoto's arc as it did with Touma's so it made sense for Touma to be the one to set him straight. Not a lot of ITEM will be falling for Touma, just one, but its a big one. I just really love bringing the how universe together._

 _Generation Zero: I honestly really liked the concept Aritomi's character, its just that it was handled very poorly and left little reason to feel sympathetic for. Thus, my changes and expansions to his backstory came into play making him a bit more likable, at least how I see it. Class 1-7 is always a fun time. You don't get any more close knit then a group of students like these guys. The girls actually already know of Tsuchimikado's status as a double agent. They learned back during the Angel Fall Arc when he gave the okay to Touma to tell them since he has more than enough blackmail material on all of them. Uiharu definitely suspects something, but Aliester doesn't exactly leave behind breadcrumbs to follow. Don't worry, more magic side is coming now._

 _0 Jordinio 0: Touma is definitely going to be upgrades in the future, just nothing too extreme to quickly. I wouldn't worry too much about Touma's powers becoming too OP in the future. While I have plans to expand on Imagine Breaker, those plans don't really expand beyond negating things more efficiently and with wider applications._

 _HamClad: Yes, I took a note from the most popular theory and impemented it into the story. You can turn off caps-lock now._

 **And that's all the reviews. Well, over fifty chapters in, you all know the drill now.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 51: Warm Home

As the last few days of summer vacation dawned upon Academy City, the citizens within were as busy as could be. Students were rushing around town, making last minute purchases for the start of the next term. Teachers were putting on the finishing touches to their lesson plans for their returning students. Everyday workers were flooding the streets, trying to get to work so they could keep up with the increasing activity within Academy City. Naturally, this meant that many modes of public transportation were rather packed, including but not limited to automatic buses, monorails, taxis, and the occasional rental motorcycle.

One particular monorail in route for School District 13 was especially crowed, filled with all sorts of people from students, teachers, businessmen, and regular citizens. Some were busy on their phones while others were reading the morning paper. It was just a crowd of totally average people. However, among that crowd were two particular individuals sitting next to each other, a boy and a girl, a brother and a sister. They Touma and Shizuri Mugino Kamijou, on their way to visit the last home they shared before they were separated.

"You excited to see Asunaro Park again?" Touma asked his sister eagerly.

"I will admit, I'm looking forward to it," Shizuri replied, "I haven't seen the place in years. I'm curious to see how it has changed. Is Miss Shigenomori still running it?"

"Yup! Though it might not be Shigenomori soon," the younger of the two revealed, "Truth is she recently got engaged."

"Really?" the elder of the two inquired in intrigue.

"Yeah. He's a regular volunteer at the facility. We might actually see him there today."

"Well then, I suppose I'll have to congratulate them," Shizuri mused, leaning back into her seat.

The Level 5 was thankful for this chance to spend time with her little brother. After 10 years of separation, a family vacation gone awry, and a shit load of pointless experiments from some attention seeking researchers, it was nice to be able to just spend so quality time with Touma and reconnect with him. And what better place to reconnect at than at the last home they shared before their separation, Asunaro Park.

It was a happy moment, but Shizuri couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her and Touma. Looking around the monorail car, there was no one on board that she would pin as a spy or stalker. In her years as the field leader of ITEM, she had learned to notice the cracks in an espionage agent's disguise. How they stood. How they observed their surroundings. How they react when someone looks at them. These were all signs that common spies often let slip, even with the best training.

But no one present seemed to give off those kinds of indicators. Everyone seemed to be content to just continue with their personal business. No one was looking in the Kamijou siblings' way or even noticed them. All the passengers were too engrossed by their phones and newspapers to pay them any mind.

However, even with all the evidence stacked against the idea, the elder Kamijou couldn't help but feel like something was amiss.

* * *

When the brother/sister duo arrived at Asunaro Park, they were immediately with an exceptionally warm welcome, or at least Touma was. When they reached the front gate of the Child Error facility, the children living in it happened to be playing in the yard. Once the children caught Touma in their sights, they immediately crowded around him with cheers and beaming smiles. A closer look at their attire revealed they all wore numerous and various buttons of children's cartoon mascots, with the only absentee being the ever popular Gekota.

"Big brother Touma!" the children cheered as they crowded around the younger Kamijou.

"Whoa! Hey! Good to see you kids too!" Touma laughed as he struggled to keep his balance.

"Quite popular among kids, aren't you?" Shizuri giggled.

"I visit every so often," Touma chuckled.

"And it's always a pleasure whenever you do," a familiar voice injected.

Looking up from the mob of children surrounding Touma, the sibling pair was greeted by the sight of the kindly director of Asunaro Park, Kazuko Shigenomori. To her right was her fiancée, Daigo, and to her left was her most frequent volunteer, the Tokiwodai Dorm Manager.

"I see you brought your sister along, just as you promised," the director noted with a smile, "Good to see you again, Shizuri."

"The same to you, Miss Shigenomori," Shizuri replied with a slight bow, "Touma has told me you have recently gotten engaged. Congratulations."

"You are too kind," Daigo said thankfully, returning the bow.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you say, 'sister'?" the dorm manager butted in, her forehead visibly sweating.

"That's right," Shigenomori chimed, stepping up to and beside Shizuri, "Everyone, I'd like you Shizuri Kamijou, Touma's older sister, a Level 5 like Mikoto, and another former resident of Asunaro Park."

Upon hearing this revelation, the children immediately started bombarding the elder Kamijou with several questions. Among the questions asked included innocent questions such as what kind of Esper Ability she had or why this was the first that they were really hearing about her. Other questions were more akin to death flags, such as if being a lower rank really made her weaker than Mikoto and if she would lose if the two of them fought. It took all of Shizuri's self-control to not lash out at the insinuation that she was weaker than the ever-popular Railgun.

"Alright everyone, that's enough questions. We wouldn't want to overwhelm our guest now, would we?" Shigenomori cut in, getting the children to stop.

"Man, it never ceases to amazement me how well-behaved the kids are in here," Touma mused, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, I did practically raise the two of you during you early years in Academy City, didn't I?" the director pointed out, "You two seemed to have turned out all right."

When the director of the Child Error facility said this, Shizuri couldn't help but drop her gaze. The claim was true enough for Touma. He was a good kid. Sure, he got in fights for stupid reasons on occasion and he had his share of perversions that he was not afraid to hide, but he was a law-abiding citizen, a helping hand, and an active law enforcer, and one of the fastest rising within Judgement, actually.

So much so that higher ups in the Disciplinary Committee entrusted him with experimental equipment for field testing. His hard work had saved many lives and helped to better prepare law enforcers with better equipment. If fact, Doctor Bakuya had recently informed him that the data collected from field testing ODD in the fight against STUDY had provided him with everything he needed to make a finished product. ODD Mark 2.1 was set to be released to the rest of Judgement tomorrow, with Touma as the field tester being charged to assist in training active members of Judgement in his branch to use the new equipment. To say that Touma had grown up so far to be a respectable person was honestly an understatement.

But Shizuri? She was a law enforcer of sorts herself, just not a very tasteful one, and she knew it. She was the person people called if they had a job that needed to be done, but no one wanted to have the act on their conscience. She didn't save people. She couldn't even really say she protected people. All she did was eliminate the pieces in the system that threatened to throw it into disarray. It was dirty work, and Shizuri very well aware of it, as was Touma, and it put her to great shame. But at the same time, as horrible as it was, she enjoyed it.

The pride of seeing him look up to her as a powerful Esper. The excitement him and her shared when they celebrated her progress. The satisfaction of protecting Touma from those who harassed him for his rotten luck. Her life in the darkness twisted these feelings nearly beyond recognition. The feeling of flexing her power. The thrill of using said power in combat. The catharsis of making others feel pain after they've inflicted it on so many others. These were all things Shizuri felt when on the job and letting loose; things she shamefully reveled in. It was only her connection to Touma that reminded her what original feelings truly were. But even as she practiced self-restraint, she struggled to hold back and not spill more blood.

This poor reaction to her words did not go unnoticed by Shingenomori. For her entire career at Asunaro Park, she saw all the children under her care as her own. Even if Shizuri's time with her was relatively brief, the old caretaker could still pick up on the signs of anxiety and self-loathing present on the Level 5's face, no matter how small.

"Say, Touma, could you help keep the children entertained for me?" the kindly older woman requested, "It's been such a long time. I think Shizuri and I have some catching up to do in private."

"Oh! Uh, sure," Touma shrugged, not noticing the thinly veiled ulterior motive.

"Excellent," Shigenomori replied, leading Shizuri into the building, "Come now Shizuri, I'll make us some tea."

Watching his older sister and old caretaking disappear into the building, Touma gave them a quick wave goodbye before turning his attention towards the children. With no real clue on how to proceed, he decided the best course of action was to rely on the adults present.

"So…," Touma trailed awkwardly, "Good to see you two again."

"Likewise," the Tokiwodai Dorm Manager replied calmly, though her voice had some threatening undertones.

"So, what exactly were you all doing before Shizuri and I got here?"

"Well," Daigo mused, "If I'm remembering correctly, we were deciding on a game to play. I believe the consensus was Zombie Tag and we were choosing the style of game."

"So, what were you all considering?" Touma asked innocently.

A somewhat sadistic smile appeared on the Tokiwodai Dorm Manager's face.

"We were thinking about going for an infection style game."

* * *

Inside the building, Shizuri and Shingenomori sat quietly in the dining room, a cup of freshly brewed Green Tea sitting in front of each of them. Now that they were alone, the elder of the two decided it was about time to drop the question.

"So, what on your mind dear?" the elder woman asked her former charge.

"What do you mean?" the Level 5 replied innocently.

"Don't play all innocent with me," the facility director reprimanded, "I saw how you reacted when we spoke outside earlier. There's clearly something bothering you."

"… Nothing gets past you, does it?" Shizuri chuckled sadly.

"I take care of young children for a living. It comes with the territory," Shingenomori replied, "So, are you ready to talk?"

"Well, if I can't keep it hidden," Shizuri replied reluctantly, eyeing the cup of tea in front of her, "It's about the time I spent missing after I left your care."

"A difficult time that was," the older woman nodded solemnly, "Touma was quite distraught when he first found out."

"I can imagine," the Level 5 sighed, "While I was gone, I became involved in some… questionable groups and activities. Even now, I'm still involved in them, and the worst part is I enjoy it."

"What exactly is it that you're involved with?"

"I can't answer that," the elder Kamijou answered warningly.

"Are you on substances? Besides the ones involved in Esper development, of course."

"…You could say that," Shizuri replied hesitantly.

"Does Touma know?"

"He has a surface level understanding of what's going on, which is already more than I ever wanted him to know," the Meltdowner answered, dropping her gaze to the floor, "I've been trying to do better for Touma's sake, but it's not exactly something you can just walk away from."

As Shizuri explained her situation, Shigenomori stayed intently focused on the young lady in front of her. It was clear that this problem gave her a lot of strife. Even if she was no longer under her care, the kind older woman was determined to help her former ward in any way she could.

"So, you're involved in something you know is wrong, but you can't stop, and you enjoy it on some level," Shingenomori summarized, "Have you tried getting professional help?"

"There's not exactly any specialists out there that can help in this case," Shizuri replied flatly.

Shizuri's situation was certainly a tricky one. Even with the limited details she had been provided, Shigenomori could clearly see that Shizuri was in quite the pickle. It was a problem whose roots were found in both her personal wishes and her own sense of identity, which were both in conflict with themselves and one another. On one hand, she wished to be a good sister to Touma, someone he could look up to. On the other hand, she was involved in questionable activities that she did enjoy on some level but was also ashamed of because Touma was well aware of them. It was apparent that Shizuri was lost as to who she really was and what she really wanted.

As she pondered on how to respond, Shingenomori's eyes wandered over to a nearby window looking out on to the playground. From there, she could see Touma running for dear life from all the children living in the facility. Clearly, they had been playing a game of Zombie Tag, ultimately culminating to the point that Touma was the last survivor and had the entire residency chasing after him to win the game.

"Okay then, answer me this. What do you want most of all?" the older woman inquired, eyeing Shizuri intensely.

A simple question with a simple answer. It was all she wanted ever since she first arrived in Academy City, and that wish was reaffirmed when she reunited with Touma.

"I want to protect Touma," Shizuri replied rather easily, looking her old caretaker in the eye, "I want the power to keep him safe."

"Alright then, look outside," the director of Asunaro Park instructed, pointing towards the same window she looked out earlier.

Following her old caretaker's instructions, Shizuri saw Touma get dogpiled on by every child in living in the facility. Despite what should have been a rather painful experience, Touma and all the children were laughing to their hearts' content with massive smiles on their faces. As per usual, Touma rotten luck lead him to an unfortunate circumstance, but he still managed to take it in stride and wear a smile on his face. The sight of it put a smile on Shizuri's own face, beckoning her to get out of her seat and walk over to the window to watch. Of course, there was only so much a single person could take before that smile cracked.

"Shizuri, I want you to remember this moment," Shigenomori encouraged, walking up beside the young lady by the window. Remember his smiling face. Burn the image into your mind and never let it go. If you ever feel lost or unsure, or you feel like you don't know who you really are, I want you to think back to this moment. This is what you want to protect above all else. As long as you remember that, I'm sure you will be able to overcome whatever you're struggling with. As they say, when there's a will there's a way."

Letting what Shigenomori had said sink in, Shizuri couldn't help but feel a bit more assured. She knew very well that she was not a good person. She had blood on her hands and was not afraid to spill more of it if she deemed it necessary. But that didn't mean she was a completely bad person. She lived in darkness, but it didn't mean she couldn't reach out for light. As long she held on to her wish to protect Touma, she could at least hang on to a single, small ray of light.

"Thank, Miss Shigenomori," Shizuri said, turning to the woman next to her, "You have no idea how much that helped."

"Any time," the elder woman replied, "Now, how about we join the others. It looks like your brother will need some help getting those children off him."

Following the director's suggestion, the two women left the building and joined everyone else outside for some fun and relaxation. However, despite her recent counseling, Shizuri still couldn't completely relax. Just like on the monorail, she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her and Touma.

* * *

After a whole day of helping out at Asunaro Park and catching up with their old caretaker, the Kamijou siblings were on their way home, happy to have had the time to stool down memory lane. It was nice for Shizuri to be able to meet with their old caretaker after leaving so suddenly all those years ago. She even got some much needed consolation from second mother figure, Kazuko Shigenomori.

Unfortunately, Shizuri couldn't exactly relax during that trip. For that matter, she couldn't even relax during the commute, either of them. Throughout their entire trip, Shizuri had the sneaking suspicion that someone had been watching her and Touma the entire time. But every time she suspected something, she looked around to see that there was no one even remotely paying attention to them. At Asunaro Park, the only people present were the children and those who took care of them. On both monorail rides, the everyone present was preoccupied with their own business and showed no interest in the siblings. If that was the case, why did Shizuri constantly feel like she and Touma were being watched?

"Hey sis, are you feeling okay?" Touma asked innocently, "You seem on edge."

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking that the other volunteer seemed a bit cautious about me," Shizuri lied, "It strange, considering I've never met her before in my life."

"Oh. Her? She's an acquaintance of sorts for mom and dad," Touma explained nonchalantly, "Apparently, dad was really popular back in high school and her older sister was one of his admirers. From how she reacted, I guess mom went to some rather crazy lengths to win dad over which may or may not have been emotionally scaring. She must have gotten worried considering your resemblance. Not that I'm complaining, considering our existence is solely dependent on our parents getting together."

"Is that so?" Shizuri mused, "Guess mom can be pretty terrifying at times."

"I honestly find it surprising," Touma shivered, "She's the dorm manager at Zapper and Pigtail's dorm and runs the place with an iron fist. Mikoto and Shirai are genuinely afraid of making her mad because of the punishment she can dish out. Somehow, she can snap a person's neck and not make it fatal. Shirai in particular has faced this punishment countless times. If someone like her is afraid of mom, I'd hate to know just how scary mom can be."

"Ha! She's supposed to be a Level 5 and she's scared shitless by that!? That's just rich!" Shizuri laughed, clearly enjoying this little tidbit on the girl that supposedly outranks her.

"Can you please not talk about my friends like that?" Touma sighed, "Honestly, the whole thing is pretty morbid. Can't you spare a little sympathy for them?"

"… Sorry," Shizuri apologized halfheartedly.

"What's your problem with them anyway?" Touma asked in exasperation, "You barely know any of them to begin with, and your only real interaction with Mikoto was that one fight."

"I just can't stand little spoiled princesses like those Tokiwodai girls," the Level 5 replied rather bitterly, "They just don't understand how the real world works and its infuriating. Then there's the girls that idolize them like those two other girls. I've seen how the headbanded girl constantly sings their praises."

"So it's not because Mikoto outranks you?"

"… That too."

"I still don't see why you can't at least try to be respectful towards them. They're really good people," Touma insisted, "You and Mikoto in particular are actually pretty similar."

"How do you figure?" the elder Kamijou asked skeptically, tilting her head.

"Well, you're both really protective older sisters with terrifyingly electric tempers," Touma explained, "When you first met Mikoto she was fighting to protect those close to her whom she saw as her little sisters. Even if they're not related by blood like you and I are, she still cares enough for them to do anything to protect them. Surely you can sympathize with that, can't you?"

If Shizuri were being honest, she could, at least a little bit. She would go to any length to protect Touma. That's how she lived the last decade of her life. The Railgun had done the same thing with her clones. Even if Touma didn't directly mention that incident, it was clear to anyone in-the-know that it was what he was referring to. While Shizuri couldn't see those clones as Mikoto's sisters, she could understand Mikoto's motivation for doing what she did when looking from her perspective. If she was willing to go that far, even fighting her, Shizuri supposed she could at least spare a little respect for her.

"… Wait, what was that about terrifyingly electric tempers?" Shizuri asked in confusion.

"F-forget that part!" Touma stammered in a panic, "The point is, Mikoto and the others are all really nice people if you get to know them. Can you promise me you'll at least try to get along better with them?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Shizuri conceded to Touma's plea. He really could be quite persuasive.

"Alright, you win," Shizuri agreed, "I'll at least try to be a bit more respectful to them. But they're going to have to work really hard if they want me to like them."

"That's all I'm asking for," Touma smiled, relaxing back into his seat.

The rest of the monorail ride was relatively uneventful. All except for the still lingering feeling that someone was watching the siblings that continued to haunt Shizuri.

* * *

As the sun started to set, the Kamijou siblings finally arrived home. After a long day at Asunaro Park, Shizuri was ready to just collapse on her bed and forget about the eerie feeling that she and her brother were being watched. She hoped that she could just sleep off the feeling, disregarding it as a figment of her overly paranoid mind. Unfortunately for her, rest was going to have to wait.

As soon as she opened the front door to her and Touma's shared apartment, heard a loud pop sound from inside the room, almost like gunfire. Fearing they had a couple of intruders, Shizuri quickly sprung into action and activated her Ability, preparing four spheres of ambiguous electrons to fire. However, she was never able to launch a counterattack as Touma grabbed her left shoulder with his right hand, suppressing her Ability and dispersing the electrons.

Thankfully, Touma had a very good reason to do so. In the moment that Shizuri spent in confusion at her brother's actions, she saw that the popping sound she heard was not from gunfire. Rather, the sound was the result of simultaneously firing five mini confetti cannons held by Index, Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, and Saten. Looking around the apartment, Shizuri could see various decorations, including streamer and balloons. On the dinner table was a massive spread of food, more than enough to feed everyone present. While it didn't look like something as good as what Touma would prepare, it certainly looked delicious.

"Welcome home, Kamijou family!" the girls cheered, "Congratulations on your new apartment!"

"W-what is this!?" Shizuri cried in confusion.

"It's a housewarming, of course!" Index cheered jubilantly.

"We wanted to throw you two on when you first moved in, but with everything going on, we never had the chance," Saten explained.

"So, we decided to prepare you one now while you two were out visiting Asunaro Park," Uiharu added.

"How did you even get in here!? Did you teleport? Hack the security? Fry the security?" Shizuri accused.

"If you must now, we used a spare key," Mikoto explained, slightly offended, holding up said spare key.

"A key which I intentionally provided," Touma cut in, stepping in front of his sister sheepishly, "Sorry about that. I just really wanted to surprise you."

"I must apologize as well," Kuroko bowed solemnly, "I have been spying on you two the entire day to make sure you didn't catch on to our party plans and keep everyone else informed so they could properly prepare. Please forgive me."

Shizuri was completely shocked. To think that these girls went to such extreme lengths just to throw her and her brother a belated housewarming party. She barely knew any of them and yet they felt obligated to give her this luxury. Even the Railgun, whom clearly still didn't entirely trust her fellow Level 5, was willing to pitch in just because Touma was her brother and cared for her. Even if the Tokiwodai girls appeared to have a thing for Touma as many other girls did, it was clear that they threw this party because they were kind girls at heart who deeply valued their friendship with Touma.

Despite herself, Shizuri couldn't help but giggle under her breath. She barely knew these girls at all, and they still went this far for her family. Perhaps Touma was right. These girls seemed to be alright, even if they were all naive, but hey, that's childhood.

"Thank you, everyone," Shizuri replied with a smile, "You are all such wonderful young ladies. Now, how about we get this party started?"

With the elder Kamijou's approval, the Kamijou housewarming party immediately got underway. Everyone immediately dug into the food, with Touma struggling to keep Index from eating it all in one bite. The night was filled with joy, merriment, and chaos as the group's usual antic ensued, including Kuroko's unwanted advances, Saten's skirt flipping, and Index's anger induced head biting. Despite the rather unruly chaos, Shizuri couldn't help but laugh at the sight. It was nice to see Touma surrounded by girls who didn't all have a thing for him that required her to scare them away.

The housewarming was overall enjoyable, but Shizuri still couldn't completely relax. Even after Kuroko confessed to having spied on her and Touma all day, the Level 5 still couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her and her brother. Clearly, this warranted investigation.

* * *

As night fell upon Academy City, a single man stood on the rooftops overlooking District 7. He was of European descent, dressed casually in a simple suit. Overall, he appeared to be a rather ordinary man, and he would where in not for the blanket he wore as a scarf and the staff he carried at his side. The blanket was a Levite cloth of a Hebrew, identical to the swaddling blanket worn by Moses when he was found by Bithiah and adopted into the house of Pharaoh. The staff at his side was a simple wooden scepter, identical to the scepter gifted to Moses by his former brother after he was banished from Egypt, allowing him to call upon God's aid in his quest to free his people from bondage. With the Levite cloth, he could remain hidden in plain sight, much like how Moses escaped persecution as an infant by living as the son of the daughter of Pharaoh. With the scepter, he could recreate all the miracles and plagues Moses brought about in his quest to free the Hebrews.

His name was Ezekiel Mitchell, and he was a spy from the Roman Orthodox Church. His mission? Infiltrate Academy City, observe the heretic known as Touma Kamijou, and eliminate him should he become a threat. As a sorcerer who drew his powers from Moses, he was the perfect man for the job. Thanks to his Levite cloth, he remained undiscovered throughout his entire day of observation. Even as he watched the Kamijou housewarming party from the building across the street, no one had a clue he even existed. If Touma Kamijou screwed up and made any threatening actions, Ezekiel would be the first to know, and the one to end him.

"Watch you're back, Touma Kamijou," Ezekiel mused to himself, "Your heresy ends here."

* * *

 **Hey everyone. Here we are at the bottom. You may have noticed there's no Animan Temple this time around, and that's because I have some very serious news and it didn't feel right to share it with all of you until after the chapter and I didn't want to stick it in a segment that is normally meant to be funny.**

 **Recently, I have learned that my grandmother died. I'm not going to go into detail about what happened, just explaining how this event is going to affect me and my writing schedule. Because of this sudden turn of events, my family and I are going overseas to our homeland in the Philippines to mourn and pay our respects for the majority of July. As a result, I will not be writing in that time, and you may not hear much from me until August. I'm leaving tomorrow, so I wanted to push this last chapter out before then.**

 **All I'm asking is that you're all patient with me until I can move past this event. Afterwards, I will be back to writing for all of you who have been so supportive of this project over the last year and a half, and counting. If you can, send your regards, and I'll see you all whenever the next chapter is ready.**


	52. Hide and Seek

**Hello internet! I'm back from my unfortunate, unplanned trip. Thank you all for all the support you've shown regarding my grandmother. It means a lot. I've had plenty of time to heal, and plenty of off-time after the funeral to write, so here's the next chapter of my new original story arc. Although, in hindsight, it feels more like an expansion on the Three Stories Arc than anything else.**

 **Regardless, I have decided on a name for it. Taking Isokage's suggestiong, I have decided to call this arc the Revelations Arc. Congratulations, Isokage!**

 **Now, let's get the reviews from the last chapter out of the way.**

 _OnePunchPlayer: Already started and moving forward._

 _0 Jordinio 0: Yup, Ezekiel is in for a rude awakening. I actually have showed off Touma's precognition in previous chapters. I just don't really make it too blatant. I'll try to make it a bit more obvious in future chapters._

 _ahsoei: I originally didn't plan on having the rest of ITEM involved, but readers like you convinced me otherwise. Thank you for that._

 _jonathanblade00: Thank you so much. I figured with changes in certain character's characterization and relationships, new arcs like this are a necessity to further explore these things. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long._

 _Idle Knight: Thank you for being so patient._

 _Anime-ted Life116: Maybe I'll find another opportunity for them to interact again. Shizuri finding someone completely normal scary would be pretty funny._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Yup. You'd be right to believe this is how Shizuri is introduced to Magic. Of course, that doesn't mean she's fully understand what she's encountered just yet._

 _fencer29: No, I will not be skipping those events. This Arc actually happens the day before the Three Stories Arc, so no issues should come about with time conflicts._

 _vampireharry the 2: Glad you liked it._

 _ArcaRoz: Thank you for being so supporting and understanding._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: I'm glad you like that I've started this new arc. I understand that you think Shizuri is out of character, but that's kind of the point. Out of all the characters I've worked with, she is the most drastically different in backstory, being Touma's older sister and suffering a mental condition that can best be described as something similar to Bipolar Disorder and Multiple Personality Disorder. She is constantly conflicted between her desire to be a good older sister to Touma and her lifestyle living in Academy City's Darkness. It's an internal battle of nature vs nurture for Shizuri, but even she's not entirely sure which is the nature and which is the nurture. The fact that's she being tolerant of the Railgang is simply her trying to be a good sister, being courteous to Touma's friends to keep him happy, even if her dark side does not necessarily like Mikoto in specific._

 _linkjames24: Thank you for the support._

 _GhostlyStranger: It's Touma Kamijou. He's never given a break from anyone._

 _Healthcare (Guest): Glad you find Ezekiel to be a potentially interesting character. Not sure if I'll be able to make him anyone of particular significance beyond this arc, but I'll see what i can do._

 _Isokage (Guest): Congratulations on having your idea used as the name of this arc. I'm glad you liked the first chapter of the arc. The arc as a whole is pretty much meant to serve as an exploration of my version of Shizuri, as well as set up for the future. I think I can agree with all of those answers for favorite movie. Although, I think I would switch Touma's Big Hero 6 with Avengers Endgame._

 _II (Guest): Thank you for your condolences._

 _Stitches (Guest): I know all about Baka-Tsuki. The main issue for me is that navigating that site is like wandering a maze, and you can't exactly hug the wall to help you find your way through. You've actually perfectly described the main conflict between Touma and Yuri that I have planned. Yuri will continue to find himself living in the Darkness even after reuniting with Touma, making him feel like Touma is failing him a friend, even though the reason Touma does not help is because he is largely unaware of Yuri's misadventures. This is something that will come to a head come WWIII._

 _Lone Sheep: Glad you liked the chapter._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Exploring Shizuri's reinvented character was a major goal of the last chapter, so I'm happy to see I succeeded in that. Oh, you have no idea how accurate the phrase "fight Darkness with Darkness" is going to be in the next chapter. Truth be told, I originally didn't plan to have ITEM involved, but after readers like you brought up the idea, I realized the arc would be much more interesting with them included. That's the beauty of writing a serialized story in real time, the readers are able to contribute._

 _gemma110605: I wouldn't count on it too soon. Just because they're not trying to kill each other doesn't mean Mikoto and Shizuri will necessarily like each other, at least not at this early of a stage._

 _mohamadstar94: Thank you for the kind words._

 _TeotakuFantasia: Thank you for being so patient._

 _Generation Zero: I like working with parallels and shadow archetypes, so drawing parallels between the Kamijou siblings was a must for me. Although, I wouldn't count of Shizuri finding a way out of the Darkness just yet. I really wanted to create a sorcerer with a new brand of magic, specifically something that could provide cloaking, and the story of Moses felt the most appropriate considering he was hidden among Egyptian royalty for most of his early life. Plus, he is tied to a massive number of Biblical miracles associated with him, so that also provided a massive number of potential spells. You'll see what those are in the near future. You won't be seeing Accel fight Ezekiel since Accel is currently docile at this point in the story, having no real reason to act on anything until he meets Last Order._

 _aw022597: Thank you for your support._

 _GENO BERSERK: Sorry to tell you this, but you're probably not going to see him for a long while._

 _English patch (Guest): Sorry, no Aogami in this arc. What part of the last chapter made you think he would have any significance? This is clearly a Shizuri focused arc._

 _GunsAndMagic: Glad you love the story so much. Characterization is a must for me, so I'm glad I'm nailing it in your eyes._

 **Well, that took a while. You all know the drill. Disclaimer time!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 52: Hide and Seek

The next day, the Kamijou siblings were enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by Touma himself. Coupled with the housewarming they had last night, Shizuri could safely say that the last few hours were rather enjoyable. While she did have to spend a considerable amount of time in the same room with the Railgun, the two Level 5's were able to keep an uneasy truce and stay courteous for Touma's sake. Neither liked nor even trusted the other very much, but if it meant keeping Touma happy they could at least try to get along.

The housewarming itself was rather enjoyable all things considered, albeit a little chaotic. Touma's friends were even nice enough to give the siblings a few gifts to make their new home feel a bit more… homey. Most prominent of those gifts was the set of picture frames that now sat in the living room bookshelf. Touma himself saw it fit to put in a few photos from his journal in these frames and on display. Among those photos included the picture of the siblings standing in front of Asunaro Park upon their arrival in Academy City, the picture of Touma and his friends seeing Nunotaba and the Chemicaloid twins off, and a picture of Touma and Yuri as children, among other photos. Even with all those photos, there will still many picture frames waiting to be filled, all of which surrounded the milagro the Kamijou patriarch gifted his son.

However, as enjoyable as the housewarming was, Shizuri could not fully enjoy it. The entire time, she was plagued with the feeling that someone was watching her family closely. At first, she had been led to believe it was simply Kuroko keeping an eye on the siblings throughout the day to make sure she didn't discover their surprise. But when the feeling didn't leave when the party started, she knew there was something more going on, something she needed to investigate.

"Crap, is that the time?" Touma cried as he checked the clock, "I have to go, or I'll be late."

"You're going to help train your Judgement Branch in using those new weapons you helped field test, right?" Shizuri inquired, "You have everything you need, right? Old prototypes? Hoverboard? Armband?"

"Yeah, don't worry. My rotten luck has trained me to be careful with my things," Touma chuckled as put on his shoes, "I'll be at the Judgement Training facility in District 2, so you know where to find me. I'll see you tonight."

"Try not to do anything too crazy," the elder sister warned.

"I'll try, but the crazy usually follows me," Touma joked as he stepped out the door, "Love you."

"Love you too," Shizuri waved as Touma left.

As soon as Touma was out the door and Shizuri was certain he was gone, she pulled out her phone and wrote a quick email for the rest of ITEM. If she was going to track down whoever was watching her family, she was going to need all the help she could get.

* * *

At a certain family restaurant, the four field members of ITEM gathered as per Shizuri's request. According to the email they all received, they were gathered to talk business, but not the kind they normally got involved with.

"So, Mugino," Kunohata asked curiously, sipping on a drink she ordered earlier, "What did you need all of us here for?"

"I have a job for all of us," Shizuri explained seriously, "It's just not one given to use from our liaison."

"Does this mean we're not getting paid?" Frenda inquired, "All told, I don't really like the idea of doing a job for free."

"Don't worry about money. I'll cover all of your labor costs," the Level 5 reassured, "This is my personal job request."

"What's the job about?" Takitsubo asked, surprised that Shizuri would be the one requesting a job.

Reaching into her pocket, Shizuri pulled out a generic picture of her brother pulled from Academy City's Data Bank. She placed said photo in the center of the table, giving all the members of ITEM a good look at Touma's face.

"This is Touma Kamijou," Shizuri explained, "A student here in Academy City. I have reason to believe that someone is spying on him, and I want all if you to help me flush out the culprit."

"This guy? Seriously?" Frenda asked in shock, "Isn't this the Judgement Officer from the restaurant? Why would someone want to spy on him? All told, he doesn't look too interesting."

"Honestly, this guy looks ultra normal," Kunohata agreed, "He doesn't look like anyone of interest."

"You'd think so, but there's more to him than meets the eye," the Meltdowner explained further, "He's registered as a Level 0 in Academy City's Data Bank, the weakest Level 0 in fact, but he actually has one of the most powerful Abilities you'll ever see. In his right hand is an unregistered Ability known as Imagine Breaker, which allows him to negate any other Esper Ability he comes in contact with. He's even managed to best Level 5's like the Railgun and Accelerator. Of course, fight him with regular weaponry and martial arts and he'll be completely helpless in most cases."

"Seriously!? Wow! All told, he seems like a really interesting guy to fight!" Frenda beamed in interest.

"How did you even know about all that?" Takitsubo inquired, "You said that a lot of this information is unregistered, so how did you know all of it?"

And there it was. The question Shizuri had been dreading ever since she decided to get the rest of ITEM involved. She honestly would have preferred to keep ITEM and her brother as far away from each other as possible. Unfortunately, the threat of a spy she could not spot was too great to ignore and required the help of her team. Her only real reassurance was the fact that if ITEM was going to learn about her brother, it was going to be on her terms.

"… The truth is… he's my younger brother," Shizuri sighed after a moment of silence, "I recently reunited with him and I'm determined to keep him safe. Please, I'm begging you, help me keep him safe."

The rest of ITEM could hardly believe what they were seeing. It was so unlike Shizuri to beg for anything. She was always such a confident Esper, so sure of herself and her abilities. To see her this desperate for help was just off-putting, especially since it was for the sake of someone else.

Frenda in particular was especially put off by the act, not only for how strange it was, but for how much she could relate to it. Frenda herself was an older sister and could understand Shizuri's plight to want to protect her little brother. There was nothing Frenda wouldn't do for her little sister Fremea. Even if the age gap between siblings wasn't necessarily the same, Frenda understood the desire to keep a younger family member safe. Besides, she did owe Shizuri for embarrassing her in the restaurant in front of her brother,

"Well. since you asked, I guess I can take this job," Frenda replied, pretending to not care too much to maintain her image, "All told, I suppose doing a slightly different job from normal can be interesting."

"I'm in too," Kunohata agreed, "This job looks like it will be ultra interesting."

"We're behind you all the way, Mugino," Takitsubo added, confirming the team's decision.

"Thank you," Shizuri said gratefully, "I promise I'll compensate you all as best as I can."

"One quick question?" Frenda interrupted, "You said your brother's name is Touma Kamijou, right? Why is his name different from yours? Shouldn't it be Touma Mugino?"

"Mugino is actually an alias I took on when my brother and I were originally separated. It's actually my mother's maiden name. My full name is Shizuri Mugino Kamijou. You can all just call me Mugino to keep things simple."

"All told, I guess that will work," Frenda shrugged.

"Ultra simple," Kunohata agreed.

"So, what's the plan, Mugino?" Takitsubo asked, ready to get to work.

* * *

At the Judgement Training Facility in District 2, Touma arrived on the scene on his hoverboard at the neck of time. Already present at the training grounds was the rest of Judgement Branch 177, including Kuroko, Uiharu, Konori, and Aomi. Also present was Yomikawa and Doctor Bakuya with a box of the finished versions of ODD. Basically, everyone got to the sight before Touma did.

"Sorry I'm late!" Touma cried as he jumped off his board and ran to meet the others, "Didn't mean to keep you all waiting."

"Don't worry about it. You came just in time," Doctor Bakuya insisted, "You brought the old prototypes, correct?"

"Have them right here," Touma replied, pulled out the two devices from his shirt.

"Excellent," the good doctor said as he took the devices off the Level 0's hands, "I can't thank you enough for field testing these for me."

"Now, how about you hand out one of these to each of your Branch members?" Yomikawa instructed, handing Touma the box of finished ODDs, "Don't forget to take one for yourself as well."

Doing as he was instructed, Touma took the box from his physical education teacher and went around to his fellow Judgement Officers, handing each of them a mass-produced version of the completed ODD. Once everyone had one, he grabbed one for himself and handed the box back to Yomikawa.

The latest version of ODD was structurally identical to the Mark 2 prototype. The only real differences were some new programming and a stronger and lighter alloy being used to construct it. Functionally, the device was the same as the last prototype, but overall more effective.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Yomikawa called out, gaining everyone's attention, "In your hands is the latest in Judgement weaponry, the Omni Defense Device, or ODD for short. Developed by Doctor Roku Bakuya and tested by Judgement Officer Touma Kamijou, this device will be the latest addition to your arsenal in maintaining peace within Academy City. As such, it is imperative that you learn to use these weapons to the best of your abilities. Thus, Touma Kamijou will be guiding you in basic operation. What this tool lacks in power, it makes up for in versatility. I expect all of you to make the most of your new weapon's capabilities. I will now give the floor to Kamijou."

"Well. look at you, big shot," Kuroko mused smugly, "Feels like only yesterday I was teaching you protocol. Looks like the student has become the teacher."

"Please don't patronize me," Touma sighed as he took center stage, "You know as well as I do that I'm still really just a rookie."

"An extremely proficient rookie," Uiharu complimented, trying to spin the conversation in a positive light.

"Alright kids, that's enough messing around," Yomikawa interrupted, "We don't have all day."

"Right, sorry," Touma apologized, straightening out, "Alright then. I guess the first thing we should work on is how to equip your ODD."

* * *

Outside the Judgement Training Facility, ITEM was positioned in a triangle formation around the area with binoculars in hand. Frenda was located to the southeast, Kunohata to the southwest, and Shizuri and Takitsubo to the north. from each of their positions, they had a clear view of Touma's position, as well as each other's. Each member had a disguise to help them be inconspicuous. Instead of her usual sweater dress, Kunohata wore a hoodie to help hide her face. Instead of her usual beret, Frenda wore a pair of sunglasses and wore a baseball cap. Since she was with Takitsubo, Shizuri wore a matching tracksuit with a pair of sunglasses and her hair tied in a low ponytail, making the pair look like a couple of joggers.

The plan was simple. ITEM would observe Touma from a distance at different positions to look for anyone suspicious. If any of them found anyone questionable, they would contact the rest of ITEM so they could all converge on the suspect and trap them in a pincer maneuver. Shizuri couldn't find the spy before by herself. But now that she all these eyes at her disposal, as well as Takitsubo's AIM Stalker if this spy was an Esper, she was sure they would be able to snuff this person out. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to have too much luck so far.

"Did you girls find anything yet?" Shizuri asked over her commlink impatiently.

" _Nothing_ ," Kunohata answered.

" _Same_ ," Frenda added, " _Though I did just see that girl with the flower headband smack herself in the face with the recall function of her new weapon. It was hilarious!_ "

"Frenda, please try to stay on task," Takitsubo reprimanded halfheartedly.

Shizuri didn't like the way the situation looked at all. From where they were all positioned, they should have been able to easily locate anyone who would have been within observation range of Touma. But they have been in position for at least an hour now and have yet to find anything. She would have liked to use Takitsubo's AIM Stalker to point out any Espers within the area with some sort of cloaking ability or long-range observation ability, but overloading Takitsubo's Ability puts a massive strain on her and could put her out of commission in they're not careful. At this rate, they might not be able to find any leads at all.

" _Hang on! I think I found something!_ " Frenda suddenly cried out.

"This better not be a joke, Frenda," Shizuri warned.

" _It's no joke! I swear!_ " the explosives specialist insisted, " _I took out my phone to take a video of the Judgement Officers failing to use their weapons when I saw him on the feed! He was wearing this wear scarf and carrying around a really big stick! When I looked away from my phone, he didn't have those things on him anymore and blended into the crowd._ "

'Could this guy be an Esper?' Shizuri thought to herself, 'I know I've heard of an Ability like this somewhere before. Dummy Check, I think it was called.'

"Stay where you are, Frenda. We're converging on your location now," the Meltdowner ordered, "Come on, Takitsubo."

Racing towards Frenda's location, the rest of ITEM rushed through the crowds of Academy City in a desperate attempt to catch their prey. When they finally arrived, they couldn't see anyone of the description Frenda provided.

"Where is he?" Kunohata asked upon arrival.

"Takitsubo, you're up," Shizuri ordered, handing the girl a box of Ability Crystals.

Steadily, Takitsubo took a pinch of powdered crystal from the box and swallowed it. In an instant, the drug took effect and overloaded her Ability, dilating her pupils and tightening her eyelids open. In an instant she could detect all the AIM Diffusion Fields in the area, both familiar and unfamiliar. She could see the AIM Diffusion Fields of ITEM, as well as those of the Judgement Officers nearby, but no one else.

"No other Espers in the area," Takitsubo reported sadly.

"I lost track of him just before you all arrived. Sorry, Mugino," Frenda lamented.

"Damn it! We lost him," Shizuri growled.

"Looks like your brother is ultra done with Judgement training for the day too," Kunohata pointed out, "If this guy is following your brother, he would likely have left the area already."

A moment later, Takitsubo's eyes returned to normal as the effects of the Ability Crystals wore off, leaving her with a small headache and holding her head.

"Are you okay?" Frenda asked in concern.

"I'm fine," the AIM Stalker insisted, "I just need a break from the Ability Crystals. That's all."

Seeing Takitsubo in such a sorry state, Shizuri couldn't help but let her sisterly side show. Ever since she reunited with Touma, that side of her has been showing more and more. Even if she wanted to get this guy as soon as possible and insure Touma's safety, she couldn't do so when their current plan of attack was failing and Takitsubo was suffering because of it. It was a game of chess they were playing. If they wanted to make an advance, they would sometimes have to make a retreat.

"Alright, it almost lunchtime anyway," Shizuri instructed, "Let's take a break and rethink our strategy."

* * *

Once again at a certain family restaurant, ITEM had gathered together, this time to reevaluate their attack plan over lunch. The restaurant they were in just so happened to be across the street from the Joseph's Touma and his friends regularly visit, so Shizuri could still keep an eye on her brother from afar when he inevitably showed up for lunch. As soon as their meals arrived, Shizuri and the rest of ITEM got to planning their next attack right away.

"So, do you think we have an Esper on our hands?" Shizuri inquired as she ate her salmon bento, "Some sort of Cloaker, perhaps?"

"Not likely," Takitsubo answered, "Even if we arrived just as he got away, I still should have been able to detect his AIM Diffusion Field. If his power involved cloaking his presence, there's no way he could have gotten away quickly enough to get out of range of my AIM Stalker."

"So, we're either dealing with a Teleporter with a cloaking device, or a non-Esper with a cloaking device," Kunohata deduced, "Either way, this guy will be ultra hard to catch if we can't rely on Takitsubo's AIM Stalker."

"Even so, we do know of at least one weakness of our target's cloaking method," Shizuri pointed out, "Frenda, you were able to discern his true appearance by looking at him through your phone camera, correct?"

"Yeah," Frenda replied, turning her attention away from her canned mackerel, "I was able to see him just fine through the camera, but when I looked at him directly, I couldn't make him out from inside the crowd. All told, it was really annoying. What's your point?"

"That means that his method of cloaking himself only works when people are looking at him," the Meltdowner explained, "If we can find some way to constantly look at him indirectly, we can track him down and smoke him out."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Kunohata inquired.

"I think I have a couple of ideas," Shizuri replied, looking out the window.

Across the road, Shizuri could see Touma and company enter the neighboring restaurant. Seeing all of them, particularly the headbanded hacker Uiharu, gave her an idea.

* * *

When Touma, Uiharu, and Kuroko arrived at Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant, they were greeted by Mikoto, Saten, and Index waiting for them at a table. After a long morning of Judgement training, it was nice for them all to be able to relax together over a meal in an airconditioned building on a summer day. The break was especially welcome considering how training that day actually went.

"Hey guys," Mikoto greeted, "How did training go?"

"As well as it could with my luck," Touma chuckled, rubbing his head as he and the girls sat down.

"What happened to your head, Kazari?" Index asked, noticing the small bandage on Uiharu's forehead.

"I had a bit of trouble using an ODD for the first time," Uiharu admitted sheepishly, "The first few times I tried using the recall function, I ended up getting smacked in the head. Kamijou makes it look really easy."

"I didn't think it was even possible for that to happen," Saten mused, "Don't those things lock on to the bracelet on your wrist or something when you recall them?"

"She kept flinching every time she tried to because of how fast it moved," Kuroko explained in exasperation, "Every time she did, the neuro-command was interrupted and her ODD went inactive, leaving it with the momentum to hit her in the face."

"No worries though! She got the hang of it eventually," Touma cheered halfheartedly, "With the help of her new ODD, Kazari Uiharu will finally be a useful field member of Judgement!"

"What do you mean 'finally'!?" Uiharu cried, earning a good-natured laugh from everyone else.

"Well, anyway, while we were waiting for you guys, we ordered some cups for the drink fountain and told the waitress to come back a little later. You guys ready to order?" Mikoto asked.

"I'll order once we get everyone they're drinks," Touma replied, "I'd be happy to get them for everyone. What would you girls like?"

"I would really love some ice-cold cola right about now," Uiharu sighed, rubbing her bandaged forehead.

"Orange juice for me!" Saten requested.

"Water is fine," Kuroko added.

"Anything will do for me!" Index cheered.

"Alright then! You mind helping me get all these drinks, Mikoto?" Touma asked with surprising politeness.

"Um, sure, I guess," the Railgun replied, getting out of her seat and following the Level 0 to the drink fountain with the group's cups.

Now alone at the drink fountain and out of hearing range from the rest of the group, Mikoto felt it was the right time to ask Touma what the real reason was that he asked her to come along. Touma Kamijou wasn't the kind of person to ask for help. He offered help but never asked for it. He was just stubborn like that. If Touma was asking Mikoto for help, then there must have been some sort of ulterior motive.

"Alright, spill it," Mikoto demanded, "What's the real reason you asked me to come along?"

"That transparent, huh?" Touma chuckled as he filled up one of his cups.

"You're a good actor, but when you act that out of character, the whole illusion is shattered," Mikoto mused, "So, why did you ask me to come along?"

"… Remember when you confessed to me earlier this summer and I said I would give it some thought before answering," Touma said as he moved on to the next cup.

"Yeah, and I've been nothing but patient about that," Mikoto replied.

"And I thank you for that," Touma said gratefully, "But at the same time, I feel like I've been keeping you waiting for too long now."

"So, you have an answer for me?"

"Unfortunately, no," Touma admitted sheepishly, "But, I thought, since tomorrow is the last day of summer break, maybe we could do something to help me come to an answer faster, just you and me."

"…Touma Kamijou, are you asking me out on a date?" Mikoto asked slyly as she filled up some of her cups.

"We can call it that if you'd like," Touma chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, I've never asked a girl out before."

"Well, consider this your lucky day," Mikoto replied with a smile, "We'll met up tomorrow morning in front of my dorm. Sound good?"

"Uh, sure, sounds great," Touma stammered.

"Great," Mikoto cheered, grabbing her share of the cups, "Now come on! Let's get these cups back to the others before the start suspecting things."

As he watched Mikoto walk back to their friend's table with their drinks, Touma couldn't help but smile to himself. For the first time in either of his lives, he was going to take a girl out on a date. Sure, it didn't technically mean they were dating, but it at least meant he was in the running to date a girl who genuinely liked him. It was almost enough to make him forget about his normally rotten luck. Almost.

Even if he was graced with the good fortune of getting a date, he couldn't help but feel like he was in store for some major misfortune later that day. Little did he know someone else was about to suffer from some much greater and more immediate misfortune.

* * *

Ezekiel could hardly believe his luck. Day two of his infiltration of Academy City and he's already found evidence of the threat that Touma Kamijou posed. From his outdoor seat at Joseph's, the Roman Orthodox spy was able to clearly hear the conversation between the heretic Touma and the Level 5 Railgun. From what he heard, the Electromaster was clearly in love with the Imagine Breaker and the latter was considering the former as an option for a girlfriend. An alliance built on a romantic relationship was sure to be a strong one, and if such a powerful Esper were added to the blossoming Kamijou Faction, it would certainly add a boost to their strength. With such blatant evidence in favor against the unlucky Kamijou, Ezekiel would have no issue finding a reason to eliminate him.

All he had to do now was wait for the opportunity to strike. Attacking now while his target was in public and surrounded by allies would be suicidal. For now, he would wait for Touma to be alone, when he would be most vulnerable. Although Imagine Breaker could easily dispel any magical attack thrown at it, it could be overpowered, and it could not defend against attacks it cannot reach or did not see coming. All Ezekiel had to do was wait for his chance, and Touma Kamijou would be dead, never to threatening the balance of power ever again.

As Ezekiel plotted on how he was going to eliminate Touma Kamijou, he couldn't help but notice a young girl in a hoodie staring at him from the sidewalk. It didn't help that she started walking directly towards him, as if she had business with him. Checking his neck, he saw he still had his Levite cloth, so his cloaking magic should still be in full effect and he should still look like an inconspicuous man. Thus, she should not have any reason to be suspicious of him. Just to be safe, he decided to act natural and assume she didn't suspect anything.

"Hello, young lady," Ezekiel said calmly, maintaining an even voice, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually," the girl replied in a strange mix of cheerful and monotone.

A moment later, the table Ezekiel had been sitting at was reduced to splinters, completely crushed under the girl's fist. Ezekiel himself would have been crushed had he not reacted quickly enough and jumped away.

Looking up from his shattered table Ezekiel could only stare in shock at the girl who blatantly attacked him in public.

"I just wanted to say you've been ultra caught," the girl said with a smirk.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"What's up everybody!?" Animan yelled as he kicked down the front door of his own temple, "Guess who's back, and better than ever!"**

 **"Master, don't you think that was a bit unneccesary?" Priestess Number 1 Himegami asked in exasperation as she followed her overexcited master out the door.**

 **"Nope!"**

 **"Well, it would appear that the Meltdowner and the rest of ITEM is having their first encounter with magic," Himegami observed, "And to top it all off, it seems they've already managed to exploit a weakness in Ezekiel's magic to track him down."**

 **"Seems like it!" Animan agreed, "Of course, I left everyone on a cliffhanger just as he was found out so everyone will have to wait until the next chapter to see how it all plays out."**

 **"I've also noticed this shares some similarities to the Dummy Check incident covered by the Railgang prior to the Graviton Bombing," the psudo-priestess mused, "Any special reason for that?"**

 **"What can I say? I like paralleled story structure," the master of the temple shrugged, "George Lucas always said that story telling is 'like poetry... it rhymes'."**

 **"I will never understand your thought process," Himegami sighed. utterly baffled by her master's sporadic behavior.**

 **"Anyway, we'll see you all next time for the next chapter, and the finale of the arc, More than Meets the Eye!" Animan cheered, swinging his sword wildly.**

 **"See you all then," Himegami said with a bow.**


	53. More than Meets the Eye

**I'm back with another chapter of my first original arc. Here it is, the finale of the Revelations Arc. A short one, I know, but you have to start somewhere. Maybe I'll be able to write a longer original arc later on.**

 **Anyway, we'll be seeing just what exactly OC Ezekiel can do. I think my only regret is that Ezekiel as a character isn't fleshed out very well. Maybe I can bring him back later on to better flesh him out then.**

 **For now, let's take a look at the reviews you all left, shall we?**

 _Nemonobody001: Glad you liked the chapter so much!_

 _fuji92: Glad you like the way I write. I actually write each chapter while playing the respective episode in the background for reference. Helps to give that authentic feel to the anime adaptation. I'm sure you'll like what's to come. Although, Touma completely recuperating Mikoto's feelings probably won't happen for at least a handful of arcs. It is coming, just not yet._

 _shiroryuu012: I wouldn't count on that just yet. The nature of the older sibling is to always see the younger sibling and young and helpless. Much like the parent, they don't realize just how quickly the young ones grow up, and its especially the case for Shizuri as she's been an absentee older sister._

 _0 Jordinio 0: It is the nature of the older sibling. Much like the parent, they never realize just how quickly the young ones grow up. In Shizuri's case, she's been absent from Touma's life for a decade and never saw him learn to handle himself. She knows he's in Judgement, yes, but that job is mostly associated with street cleaning and dealing with small crimes. She's never going to believe he's someone that can get away with punching archangels and La Persona Superiore a Dio in the face. You might also be high balling Touma a bit too, since while Touma is strong physically, he lacks formal training to use that strength in a CQC confrontation. He has some Judo training, but that's more focused on pinning an opponent as quickly and effectively as possible and not very useful in a lasting conflict. Think of is as Hulk vs Thanos: both are incredibly strong, but only the latter has the skill and technique to use that strength to the maximum potential. That's not to say Touma can't handle himself in a fight, he can definitely take care of himself, its mostly a matter of Shizuri lacking proper knowledge and failing to understand that her little brother isn't that defenseless little boy anymore._

 _janjakennen: Touma and Mikoto's date will be completely original content, being the intended plan for August 31st as opposed to a hastily put together plan by Mikoto to get away from Etzali. Outside of the date, however, the chapter will follow similar beats such as meeting Etzali outside of the dorm, Touma having a heart-to-heart with each of them, and the confrontation. How they are executed however will change given current circumstances. Index's role in the Three Stories Arc will remain relatively unchanged in the third story, but the source of the racket Accelerator hears and blocks will be something a bit different, as you will soon see. And yes, Touma did actually get his summer homework done. It was original forgotten because of his amnesia (as was his original set of remedial classes) and he never got around to doing it because of subsequent incidences. However, because of the Railgang's interference this time around, he was reminded about his summer school work as soon as he woke up from the hospital and got everything done on time. This includes attending all his remedial classes so he doesn't have to pay for a second set and doing all the summer homework before summer ended._

 _GunsAndMagic: It will be interesting, if not a bit familiar, I'll promise you that._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, looks like my longer chapters are usually the adapted ones since they have preexisting content that I expand on with my own stuff. Glad to know I'm handing this original stuff well enough at least. Thanks for the tip. I made sure to make that correction in this chapter before posting it. Not sure why I messed up the name like that._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Like I've always said, this is a fundamentally different Shizuri. She has something she wishes to protect by nature, but that comes in conflict with how she lives by nurture. Thanks for pointing that error out for me. I made sure to fix it ASAP. I really need to study the map of Academy City more closely._

 _Anime-ted Life116: I wouldn't worry too much. Scientific progress can't be stopped, and with STUDY now on Doctor Bakuya's research team, a new build of ODD that needs field testing might be just around the corner. I think you'll find the resolution to this conflict quite interesting, particularly for how similar it is to a certain other incident that took place before this story. Relationships are a big part of this story, so of course a whole bunch of them will see some development._

 _OnePunchPlayer: I wouldn't be too worried about all of ITEM part of Touma's Harem. Three of them are reserved for Hamazura. That kind of is the joke, everyone underestimates Touma. Although, in this case it partly because Shizuri doesn't realize just how much Touma has grown up. I actually have plans to save Frenda, not saying how though. Big plans coming for the end of Index Season 1. You'll have to wait and see what those are._

 _Isokage (Guest): Glad you liked the chapter. I'm actually not entirely sure if I want to include the storyline of A Certain Scientific Accelerator. As it stands right now, what's been released is so limited that it's not too_ _consequential. I actually have plans to showcase Index and Saten's daily life prior to the kidnapping in the Three Stories Arc. I'm getting around to thinking of a proper name for Misaka 10032. She and the other Sisters will be revealed, just not for a long time._

 _Stitches (Guest): I think you're going to find this chapter rather surprising. Touma and Shizuri are currently living in just a random, high quality apartment. I might recon it later that its the same apartment building._

 _II (Guest): No, the fake Unibara was not cut. The last chapter actually partially set that up with Touma and Mikoto's date. Touma and Accelerator will cross paths again, just not quite yet. Sooner than in canon, but not too far off from now either. Give them about three days in story. Shizuri will at least try to kill Frenda. The Sisters will be revealed in time._

 _ArcaRoz: I understand your concerns, but I encourage you not to worry about the characters. The changes are less recreations of the characters and more expansions of them. The core of what makes the characters special will still be there, but they will be enhanced with new nuances. Aritomi is an excellent example of this. Originally a flat, unlikable character whose only real traits was his intelligence and hatred for Espers, I expanded on him and made him a wide-eyed idealist who lost his way as his ideals and ideas were ridiculed, driving him down a misguided path. I don't aim to redefine these characters, just the readers' experience with them._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you!_

 _ahsoei: I did say they were going to be the main ship in Touma's harem._

 _TeotakuFantasia: I think you'll like what you see._

 _LegallyRestricted: Not quite on the front of Saten and Frenda. This doesn't really change their first meeting. Frenda's not going to try and fight Touma. She can be dumb, but she's not that dumb to threaten the little brother Shizuri literally hired her to protect one day. I'm thinking Shizuri's opinion of Touma's friends will improve long before Lesser comes into play. But when she does, you can count that Shizuri's not going to like her._

 _mohamadstar94: Yeah, Ezekiel is in for a bad time._

 **EDIT: After many of you have pointed out a scientific flaw in the chapter, I have taken the liberty of revising it to be more accurate to actual science. Please enjoy this slightly modified version.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 53: More than Meets the Eye

When Touma and Mikoto returned to the table with everyone's drinks, the waitress had arrived and was already starting to take everybody's orders. However, just as they put the drinks down on the table, a loud crash was heard just outside the restaurant. Dropping everything they were doing, the Judgement Officers among the group quickly slipped on their armbands and rushed outside to investigate, as did many of the civilians within restaurant.

When they got outside, Touma, Kuroko, and Uiharu saw everyone outside crowding around the remains of what appeared to be one of the restaurant's outdoor tables. Wooden splinters were scattered everywhere and there appeared to be a massive hole in the middle of the destroyed tabletop, as if something or someone punched through it.

"Excuse us, we're with Judgement. Can you tell us what happened here?" Kuroko asked one of the nearby civilians.

"It all happened so fast, I'm not entirely sure myself," the man replied, "I think a little girl in a hoodie just smashed the table and started chasing the man who was sitting at it."

"Looks like we've got a rouge Esper on our hands," Touma mused.

"Can you tell us which way they went?" Uiharu inquired.

"I think I saw them run that way," the man answered, pointing down the street.

"They can't have gotten far! We can still catch them," Kuroko cried as she grabbed Uiharu's shoulder, "Think you can keep up, Kamijou?"

"With this thing?" Touma replied, pulling out his collapsed hoverboard, "Your days of leaving me in the dust are over."

"Then let's go!" Kuroko ordered as she teleported herself and Uiharu ahead several meters at a time.

Meanwhile, Touma expanded and activated his hoverboard, syncing it with his new ODD's systems. He then threw the board on to the ground where it hovered in place before jumping on top. Once onboard, Touma jetted forward after Kuroko and Uiharu, joining the chase for this mysterious rouge Esper. Just another day in the office for Judgement.

* * *

As he ran through the streets of Academy City, Ezekiel could hardly believe how quickly his luck had soured. On moment he was planning his ambush on Touma Kamijou, the next he's cover is blown and he's sent running for his life from a twelve-year-old girl. Did Imagine Breaker's range suddenly expand and negate the blessings God had been giving him up until then?

For the life of him, Ezekiel couldn't understand how his cover was blown. By all indications, his cloaking magic should still be active and in full effect. The story of Moses was one of the most pivotal in the Bible and demonstrated one of the most prominent cases of concealed identity. So well hidden was Moses's true heritage throughout his early life that Moses himself did not realize that he was the son of a Hebrew slave until the eyes of others revealed the truth to him. The only ways Ezekiel's cloaking magic could fail was if he lost his Levite cloth or if someone saw looked at him indirectly, like through a mirror.

Ezekiel couldn't worry about that right now. For now, he had to get away and regain his cover. Rushing through the crowded streets of the city of science, the Roman Orthodox sorcerer ran into a crowd before slowing his pace and blending into it. Since his magic was still in effect, a crowd of people was the safest place he could be right now. Once he was sure he was in the clear, Ezekiel would locate Touma Kamijou again and eliminate him the first chance he got.

Unfortunately, when he looked behind him, Ezekiel saw the girl in the hoodie from before still following him, her gaze firmly locked on to him. Seeing that the crowd approach was not doing him any favors even with his cloaking magic, Ezekiel quickly changed course and dove into an alley way to take cover and catch his breath.

Hidden by the shadows of the alley, the Roman Orthodox sorcerer leaned against one of the walls, furiously trying to think of how this little girl could track his so easily and why she would be attacking him in the first place. Sure, he was a spy who infiltrated Academy City, but he wouldn't be the first. Plus, he's never met her before in his life, so he couldn't have wronged her in any way to make her vindictive.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Ezekiel noticed a small glimmer of light shine in his eye amongst the darkness of the alley. Looking up, the sorcerer saw exactly where the light was coming from. It was a reflection off the lens of a security camera, one of the hundreds of thousands installed throughout Academy City.

'That's how she's doing it!' Ezekiel growled to himself, 'She has someone monitoring the security cameras for her to bypass my spell and give away my location and appearance!'

"You're ultra terrible at this, you know that?" a familiar voice called behind Ezekiel.

Turning around, the sorcerer's fears were confirmed when he saw the young girl from before had once again found him. Seeing as his cloaking magic had been compromised, Ezekiel's only hope now was to run to a location in which there were no cameras. But before that, he needed to lose this girl, which was going to require force.

"HWFABLF! (Hail will fall and burn like fire!)" Ezekiel yelled as he pointed his staff towards the hooded girl.

The letters the sorcerers spoke sounded like mere gibberish to the untrained, but they were anything but. They were a method of deriving words known as Notarikon. By taking the first letter of each word in a translation of a sentence, a spell caster was able to derive meaning from the letters and perform an appropriate spell. In Ezekiel's case, by translating the original biblical texts regarding the Ten Plagues of Egypt to English and reciting the first letter of each word, he was able to perform recreations of those same plagues with more relative ease.

As soon as the letters left his mouth, a miniature storm of flaming hails erupted from the tip of his staff and rushed towards the hooded girl. Said girl crossed her arms in front of her face as if to brace herself for the impact, as if the blast would have no real effect on her. To the sorcerer's surprise, his flaming balls of hail bounced harmlessly off her, clattering to the ground like stones. She did however do a double take upon seeing the flaming balls of ice, a concept that was so contradictory it wasn't even funny.

The girl named Sasai Kinuhata was a Level 4 Esper with a powerful Esper Ability, Offensive Armor, which projected a dense shield of nitrogen around her body that defended her from nearly all manner of attacks and enhanced her own. The only real way to combat this defense of her's was to deplete the nitrogen in the immediate area, but Ezekiel had no way to do that, nor could he have known it was the only viable strategy.

'Didn't expect that,' Ezekiel thought to himself as he started running deeper into the alley.

Even though the unexpectedly strange attack threw her off, Kinuhata was determined to not let her target get away. Quickly shaking off her confusion, she ran after the fleeing Ezekiel, only for the sorcerer to chant out another string of letters.

"LGFALWSTL! (Lice, gnats, flies, and locusts with swarm the land!)"

From the tip of Ezekiel's staff erupted a swarm of insects, including lice, gnats, flies, and locusts. These insects surrounded Kinuhata, unrelentingly trying to pierce her Offense Armor to no avail. Despite they, there were still a major hindrance to her chase, blocking her line of sight and holding her in place. This gave Ezekiel the perfect opportunity to lose his pursuer.

"Takitsubo, I've ultra lost him!" Kinuhata reported over her commlink, "He's thrown a whole ton of bugs at me and they're ultra persistent on keeping me in place!"

* * *

From her laptop in one of ITEM's many armored vans. Takitsubo had full, unrestricted access to Academy City's security cameras. On one of the many feeds she had visible to her, there was the Roman Orthodox spy known as Ezekiel Mitchell, running out of a city alley and heading for the river.

"Don't worry. I still have him in my sights," Takitsubo replied, "Frenda, he's heading your way."

* * *

When Ezekiel reached the river, the thought he was in the clear. With no buildings in the immediate area, he was sure there would be no cameras to expose him now that he had lost the girl that was chasing him. All he had to do was say in areas with no cameras, like the riverbed, and wait for his chance to eliminate Touma Kamijou. Inflicting the boy with boils across his entire body to the point that he died seems like an appropriate enough demise. The one weakness of his scepter is that it could only recreate each of the ten plagues of Egypt once per day, similar to how each plague was only inflicted once before the Hebrews were set free, and he had just used four of them trying to flee his pursuer. Still, there were still more than half of his plagues left over, more than enough to eliminate his target with. Unfortunately, the Roman Orthodox sorcerer forgot to account for one little thing: there was more than one pursuer after him.

"All told, you're really making this job interesting, mister mystery man," Frenda taunted as she approached Ezekiel, pulling a set of six handheld missiles out from under her skirt, "But this is the end of the line for you."

'There's more of them!?' Ezekiel thought in a panic.

With little warning, Frenda pulled the triggers on all of her missiles and threw them into the air, sending them rocketing straight towards the unfortunate sorcerer. Thankfully, Ezekiel was by a river, and he had just the spell to help him defend himself.

Dipping his staff into the river he said a quick chant, drawing power from the stories of Moses.

"TNWTTB! (The Nile will turn to blood!)"

At his command, the water around where his staff touched the river became a deep red and put under his control. With a swing of his staff, the red water burst from the river and formed a wall between him and Frenda, catching the missiles and protecting him from the explosions.

"FWRFTNASTP! (Frogs will rise from the Nile and swarm the people!)"

As soon as the letters left Ezekiel's mouth, the curse that befell Egypt was reenacted in a much smaller scale. From the river came hundreds of frogs, more than what should reasonably live in the river considering its location in the middle of the city of science. Coming in droves, the frogs leaped at Frenda, catching her off guard and knocking her to the ground. With his latest pursuer now occupied with his legion of amphibians, Ezekiel saw it fit to leave while he still had four of his plagues for the day. Unfortunately, that number was about to drop very soon.

As he ran in the opposite direction, Ezekiel barely narrowly missed getting hit by a blast of uncertain electrons. His Levite cloth, however, was not so lucky, getting barely singed and catching fire, forcing the sorcerer to discard it. With his Levite cloth destroyed, Ezekiel was without his cloaking magic, leaving his true appearance in full view of one Shizuri Mugino Kamijou standing at the top of the riverbank.

"So that's what you really look like," the Meltdowner mused, "I was aiming to incapacitate you for questioning with a flesh wound, but it seems I disabled your cloaking device instead. At least it will make tracking your slippery ass all the easier."

"PWFOA! (Pestilence will fall on all!)" Ezekiel cried in resistance, firing a noxious cloud at the Level 5.

Molding her uncertain electrons into a small wall, Shizuri intercepted the noxious cloud long before it reached her, disintegrating it.

"Did you really fucking think a pathetic attack like that would work against a Level 5?" Shizuri taunted, "Especially one whose little brother you've threatened?"

'So, she's the rumored elder sister, and a Level 5 Esper as well,' Ezekiel thought to himself, 'If she's the firstborn of the Kamijous…'

"DTA-ah!" the sorcerer cried as chant was cut off by a blast to his left shoulder, making him drop his staff at his feet.

"Did you really think I'd let you counterattack?" Shizuri mocked.

A second blast to his right leg brought him to his knees, leaving Ezekiel at the mercy of the Meltdowner. The Level 5 was soon joined by Frenda and Kinohata, who besides looking a bit disheveled from dealing with frogs and bugs were more or less okay.

"So, are you going to kill me now?" the captured spy asked rhetorically.

"No, not yet anyway," Shizuri replied calmly, "First, you're going to answer some questions for us, and answer them truthfully."

"And if I refuse?"

Ezekiel's answer was a Meltdowner blast between his legs, just barely missing his manhood.

"… Fair enough," the spy shrugged, taking his situation in stride.

With his staff out of his hands and his eighth plague spell incomplete and wasted, Ezekiel was left with no option but to comply with his captor's demands. It wasn't like his last to plague spells, darkness and boils, were going to be of much help to him now. At least, not until he got the opportunity to make his next move.

Besides, even if the Meltdowner had threatened to kill him, he could tell she wasn't going to go through with it. He could see it in her eyes. They held the desire to kill, but lacked the conviction to do so, as if in conflict some other desire. Sure, the other girls looked plenty ready to kill him, especially after he assaulted them with pests and semiaquatic animals, but the Meltdowner was their leader and lacked the same drive. Like any team, they were like a chain rope, and a chain was only as strong as its weakest link.

"First question, who are you?" Kinuhata demanded.

"My name is Ezekiel Mitchell, and I am an agent of the Roman Orthodox Church."

"Okay then, Ezekiel," Frenda inquired, "What exactly is a man of faith like you doing in Academy City? All told, it's not exactly the Vatican City."

"I was sent on a mission to assess the threat that Touma Kamijou poses, and to eliminate him if the threat is too great."

"What threat could my brother possibly pose!?" Shizuri asked in outrage, "He's nothing more than a normal high school student with a special right hand! He's not a threat to anyone!"

"Hehehe. You really know nothing about your brother, do you?" Ezekiel chuckled, "Have you looked at the people surrounding him? A Level 5 as an older sister. The Railgun as a potential lover. The good graces of some Academy City's youngest and brightest minds. And that's just from this side of the world. There's another side in a global power struggle you're not even aware of that Touma Kamijou has even more supporters from."

"And what side would that be?" Shizuri demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"The same side that taught me how to use the powers I used against you all today," Ezekiel said cryptically as he slowly reached for his staff, "An alternative source of power to your Esper Abilities."

"Wait, all that ultra weird stuff you were doing, with the hail and the bugs and the frogs, those were a supernatural phenomenon outside of an Esper Ability?" Kinuhata inquired.

"That is correct," the spy replied, "You Espers are incredibly ignorant to believe that your Abilities are the only power that exists in this world."

"Then what other powers exist?" Shizuri pushed.

"I'm sure you'll learn soon enough," Ezekiel smirked before making his move.

Faster than anyone in ITEM could react, the Roman Orthodox sorcerer grabbed his staff from the ground and chanted his ninth plague spell. It was the simplest and quickest to cast of his spells, but also the most effective for making last ditch efforts to escape. He always made sure to save it until the last moment when no other options were available. As they say, never play an ace if a two will do.

"DWF! (Darkness will fall!)" Ezekiel chanted.

In an instant, all light within the immediate area around Ezekiel disappeared, leaving the members of ITEM in complete darkness. Caught off guard by the sudden lack of light, the members of ITEM tried everything they could to illuminate their situation, from Shizuri's Meltdowner to Frenda's various lighters. However, no light would be allowed to shine within the area the spell was cast when it was in effect.

The spell was a recreation of the three days of darkness that plagued Egypt in the story of Moses, naturally scaled down to an extensive degree. For one, the spell only covered a radius of ten meters as opposed to the entirety of a country the size of Egypt. In addition, the time limit was cut down from three days to three minutes, but that was more enough time for someone like Ezekiel to make an escape. The spell also had the added bonus of trapping everyone caught inside other than the caster until it wore off, insuring the caster's escape.

When the darkness was lifted, there was no trace of Ezekiel left behind whatsoever. A check in with Takitsubo revealed there was no traces of the Roman Orthodox spy on any of Academy City's security cameras. Once again, ITEM's target has slipped through their fingers. While Shizuri originally requested this job in a search for answers, she found herself with nothing but more questions.

"Is now a bad time to ask if we're still getting paid?" Frenda asked obliviously.

* * *

Following the trail left behind by eyewitnesses, Touma, Kuroko, and Uiharu soon arrived at the last reported sighting of the rouge Esper, an entrance to an alley in which she chased an unsuspecting civilian. The alley was in a rather surprising state, showing signs of a small struggle and littered with bug corpses and hail balls. Even stranger were the bug corpses and hail balls themselves.

"This is odd," Uiharu mused as she looked through an internet page on her ODD bracelet's holographic screen, "According to this, these bugs shouldn't even be native to anywhere near Japan, let alone Academy City."

"It's not just the bugs," Touma pointed out, "Check out these hail balls."

"Is that ice… on fire?" Kuroko inquired, kneeling next to Touma to get a closer look.

"And that's not all," Touma added, reaching down to touch a hail ball with his right hand.

As soon as he touched it, the sound of shattering glass rang out and the hail ball itself shattered before disappearing, leaving no trace of its existence.

"This could only mean one thing," Touma deduced.

"Magic," Kuroko agreed.

"Better keep this off the books," Uiharu noted, "Don't want this to get out."

"I'll talk to Index about it later," Touma added, "Maybe she can give us some clue on who this guy is."

* * *

Just outside Academy City, Ezekiel sat in a park bench, completely exhausted. His mission to infiltrated Academy City and eliminate Touma Kamijou had lasted all of two days before it went awry. However, that did not necessarily mean in mission was a complete failure.

While he was unable to eliminate the Imagine Breaker, he did find plenty of reason to attack him. The Kamijou Faction was indeed a growing threat, and one that should be feared. His near-death experience with Shizuri Mugino Kamijou was proof of that. However, that experience provided him with a great deal of insight regarding the Kamijou Faction: they were largely oblivious.

Despite being the elder sister of Touma Kamijou, the Meltdowner was completely oblivious to her younger brother's exploits and connections. She failed to realize just how much influence over the world Touma Kamijou really had, not even knowing that the Magic Side existed. If the sister of the leader of the Kamijou Faction, theoretically the closest person to said leader, knew nothing, how much more did the rest of the faction.

In short, the Kamijou Faction was completely unprepared for whatever was coming. It was important news for Ezekiel to report back to his superiors.

* * *

That night, while waiting for Touma to come home, Shizuri had opted to take a shower to help clear her head and collect her thoughts. The cold water falling on her face was just what she needed after the day she had. After her little outing with ITEM, Shizuri was left with so much information that she didn't know what to do with it all. She thought that tracking down that spy would get her answers, but it also gave many more questions.

First and foremost, there was the idea that Touma was considered a threat by some outside organization. For some reason, this unknown group thought Touma was a threat large enough to warrant sending a spy and assassin against him to observe and kill him if deemed necessary. Touma had a knack for finding trouble, or rather trouble had a knack for finding him, but overall, he was pretty harmless, at least as far as Shizuri was concerned. He was a high school Judgement Officer with a special right hand that could negate supernatural phenomenon. Nothing more, nothing less.

Then there was the idea that Touma was the head of some sort of organization out to change the world order as everyone knew it. That was one of the most absurd things Shizuri's ever heard of in a long time, and she knew of an experiment that was the equivalent of grinding low-level enemies in an RPG. Sure, Touma was a social butterfly, but he wasn't out to create some sort of revolution. He just has a way with people, especially girls from some reason.

And finally there was the idea that there was another source of power out there outside of Academy City's Esper Abilities. This was the hardest to disregard. Shizuri had seen for herself genuine proof that there was something else out there. That Ezekiel character she and ITEM tracked down had some seriously diverse powers. Some of those powers didn't even makes any sense, like flaming hail and summoning frogs that shouldn't even be living in Academy City's rivers. None of those powers looked scientific in the slightest, and that stick couldn't have been some high-tech device holding things like disease and bugs inside. And what was with the chanting he was doing each time he attacked? There was definitely some other power in play then, but what was it?

If only that spy didn't get away. She could have gotten more answers out of him. If only she hadn't been so merciful with him. Shizuri could see it in his eyes. He knew she wouldn't kill him. After all, she promised Touma she wouldn't kill unless it was absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, that also made her threats less dangerous since killing was reserved. At the very least, she could relax knowing that spy was no longer in Academy City.

All Shizuri could do now was keep a closer eye on Touma and those that surrounded him. He was definitely going to need some more protection in the near future. At the very least, she could probably trust the Railgun to keep him safe to some degree. Even if she didn't like the Tokiwodai girl very much, she knew Mikoto was fiercely devoted to Touma. If she was that devoted, she was sure to keep Touma out of trouble.

After some time, Shizuri decided it was about time to get out of the shower. Turning off the water, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, immediately getting to work on drying off, starting with her hair, leaving the rest of her body exposed, not that anyone was going to see it. At least, that's what she though until the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Standing in the doorway was Touma, looking rather tired. He stood there dumbfound and paralyzed. He acted as if he had seen something forbidden, which technically for anyone else, he did.

"I-I'm sorry!" Touma stammered, trying to defend himself, "I-I didn't mean to walk in on you like that! I've been living by myself ever since I started middle school, so I'm not used to sharing a bathroom with someone, especially not a girl! B-besides, you haven't been home very often recently because of all those jobs you were getting, so I never adapted to sharing a bathroom with you!"

"Touma, relax, I'm not mad," Shizuri said calmly as she wrapped herself with her towel.

"Y-you're not?" Touma stuttered.

"Of course not," the elder Kamijou replied as she stepped past her brother out of the bathroom, "It's not like this is the first time you've seen me naked. We used to take baths together as kids all the time."

"I-I guess that makes sense," the younger brother agreed with some uncertainty.

"So, how was your day?" Shizuri asked as she picked up a newspaper from the living room, "You look tired."

"Oh! Uh… There was a case of a rouge Esper today, but we hit a dead end, so Anti-Skill is taking over," Touma answered, "Aside from that, my day went pretty well. Something amazing happened to me today."

"Oh yeah?" Shizuri inquired as she dug up a roll of tap from the kitchen drawer.

"Yeah, I actually have a date tomorrow… with Mikoto," Touma said wearily, "It's cool if I go out with her, right?"

"I don't see why not," Shizuri replied as she folded the newspaper in an accordion style, "You're a healthy high school boy. I don't see why I should keep you from going on dates at your age."

"R-really?" Touma asked in confusion, "I thought for should you would have been against it since it's Mikoto."

"I may not like her too much personally, but I can see she's a good person," Shizuri answered as she taped together one end of her folded newspaper, "If you really want to go on a date with her, then I won't stop you. I wouldn't be mad over that."

"T-then why are you threatening me with the paper fan you just made?" the misfortunate Level 0 asked as his sister approached him, slapping said paper fan in her hand.

"Because, your reaction after walking in on me in the shower tells me you have not learned to knock before opening a bathroom door in the ten years we've been separated and this isn't the first time something like this has happened to you," Shizuri explained in a faux sweetness, "So, I figured it was about time I taught you some discipline in a manner that was sure to get the point across."

"C-can't we talk about this?" Touma begged, visibly sweating.

His response was a relentless fury of slaps from Shizuri's paper fan to his face. The commotion was so loud, it could be heard from several blocks away by passing by pedestrians.

"Rotten luck!"

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple!" the master of the temple shouted, "I'm your host, Animan von Elysium X, with my assistant, Priestess Number 1 Aisa Himegami!"**

 **"Pleasure to be here," Himegami said with a bow.**

 **"Well, that little magical escapade ended as well as it could have, I suppose," Animan mused.**

 **"As well as it could considering what happened to Kamijou at the end," Himegami deadpanned.**

 **"You win some you lose some," the master shrugged, "But hey, at least Touma gets a date next time."**

 **"Don't remind me," the temple's head priestess sulked.**

 **"Well, we'll see how well this date goes next time in 'Love is War'," Animan said with a wave, "Until then, stay frosty everyone!"**

 **"Good bye."**


	54. Love is War

**Here we are again with a new chapter, this one based on some canon events. specifically the first story of the Three Stories Arc. Of course, there's a major difference this time around in that the nature Touma and Mikoto's relationship is vastly different than in canon at this point. I'm not sure if the ripple effect with be as significant as I believe it to be, but I'll let all of you be the judge of that.**

 **On another note, this is the moment a lot of you shippers. The first Kamikoto date. I will say to not expect too much from me here. This is a first date for the two of them. Plus, I don't really know what most people do as a first date anyway, so expect some level of awkwardness from this. Then again, it may be appropriate given the scenario.**

 **For now, let's reply to your reviews from the last chapter.**

 _Herox100: Hope I didn't keep you waiting!_

 _OnePunchPlayer: Don't see why you're so touchy on the term "replicate". That's essentially how magic works in this franchise: symbols and idols are used to draw power from collective beliefs and produce effects analogous or similar to those beliefs. Well, Ezekiel is Roman Orthodox. Most of the Roman Orthodox Touma has met didn't become his allies until WWIII, and even then they were more "enemy of my enemy" scenarios. The existence of this chapter pretty much negates the idea that Ezekiel replaced Etzail. Heck, the scene in restaurant two chapters was actually a set up for this chapter. Shizuri got her first taste of the Magic Side last chapter. That will only build up in the future. What can I say? Paper fans are funny._

 _Nemonobody001: Thank you!_

 _fuji92: Magic Side already making moves, but Roman Orthadox in specific will be making bigger moves later on. I already have plenty of plans for the Railgang to be involved in Magic Side events in the near future. I mean, it would be redundant of me to do them if I didn't make at least a few changes. I have everything up until the end of OT planned out. I follow the MCU philosophy of build expansive stories. I know where I want to go, it's just a matter of creating a path towards it. I have not had a chance to play Imaginary Fest since it's a Japan exclusive right now and I don't know how to download apps from other countries. Seriously hoping it gets the FGO treatment._

 _ahsoei: I blame Sonic the Hedgehog for confusing the spellings for me. I wanted to give Ezekiel a bit of urgency for anyone who knows what the Ten Plagues of Egypt were._

 _BlueJack22: Don't see how that could have happened. Ezekiel is Roman Orthodox, Etzali is Aztec. Ezekiel is a Italian name, Etzali is an Aztec name. Ezekiel using magic based on Moses, Etzali uses magic based on Aztec rituals. i guess the names are spelled similarly._

 _Anti-Mage 29: One of those guess is actually in my plans right now. You'll have to wait and see which it is._

 _Stitches (Guest): Paper fans, man. Anyone who's play Smash Bros with Items on knows how annoying they can be if your opponent spams them. That's actually a really good idea. I haven't gotten around to watching the anime adaptation yet since I'm waiting for the simildub, but I could do something like having Touma visit Accelerator in his hospital room during the more quiet moments, with Accelerator doing whatever he can to keep Touma in the dark._

 _Isokage (Guest): Well, at this point, Shizuri believes that the idea that Touma is a super influential figure in a world power struggle is ridiculous. She wouldn't want to discuss something she isn't even sure Touma is actually aware of. Until she sees proof of Touma actual involvement with this unknown superpower, she's not going to confront him about it. It's important to remember that Academy City's Dark Side was involved in Ezekiel's struggle, and ITEM utilized those cameras to expose him, so they would naturally take care of deleting the data themselves. All of the Three Stories Arc will be covered, though differences will occur due to changing character dynamics._

 _II (Guest): No spoilers._

 _JayMyBoy: Well, yeah, that's kinda how_ _Notarikon works in canon._

 _TeotakuFantasia: That is actually a crux of Ezekiel's operation. Several people in Touma's inner circle within the Science Side (the Railgang) are aware of the Magic Side. The issue right now is that a most of the inner circle originating from the Science Side (Shizuri and later Yuri) are oblivious. Really Ezekiel is reporting a half truth in that hard hitters are unaware of the Magic Side, but the entire Kamijou Faction as a whole is unaware of the bigger picture with the world's state. Aogami's Esper Ability, Mind's Eye, is a form of Telepathy that allows him to intercept the neuro-signals originating from people's eyes. This allows him to see through other people's eyes in the most literal sense, as well as view visual memories. The only crux is that the targets must be within a hypothetical line of sight since the ability works in the same was as Telepathy in that it creates a "wire" out of air vibrations that connect's Aogami's ocular nerves to those of his targets. Touma and Mikoto's date isn't going to go off the rails in that sense, but it will go off the rails._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad to know I managed to utilize the rules of ToAru's magic system well enough. With Shizuri as a more central character, especially more early on, seeing Academy City's Dark Side in action was going to happen a bit earlier too. Yeah, my original arc did feel more like an expansion on the Three Stories Arc than anything else. Thanks again for pointing out the mistake with the names. I fixed that along with the scientific errors I also made._

 _fencer29: To be fair, Ezekiel was more worried on hiding himself from his target, Touma, who normally would not be nose deep analyzing security camera data. Plus, he was not expecting a third party to interfere and use said cameras. If the boils are all across Touma's body, there are only so many he can negate at a time before he succumbs to his injuries. Thank you for pointing out that scientific mistake. I have since rectified it to properly align with true science._

 _janjakennen: Don't worry. Touma forgetting to knock isn't going anywhere any time soon. If anything, Shizuri's new paper fan will be great for enhancing comedy in those scenarios._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you very much!_

 _Anime-ted Life116: Shizuri will learn more about magic when the time comes. I would like to have Hamazura show up a bit earlier, but I can't see a way for that to happen since he's part of a Skill-Out gang that does not actively seek out criminal activity. They act more like vigilantes, protecting Level 0's who are abused by Espers and neglected by the system. No way to really force an early confrontation between Touma and Hamazura. You'll have to read until the end of this chapter to see how the confrontation with Etzali goes._

 _LegallyRestricted: Yeah, really wanted to sell that connection. It helps that the way a lot of Kamachi's characters are designed have inherent parallels and connections to one another. Further exploration of the concept of Magic for ITEM is bound to happen in the future, but I think you'll be surprised to see when exactly it happens. In the previous case, it wasn't so much an issue of her willingness to kill, but an issue of the weight of her threats. Because of her promise to Touma, she wishes to avoid killing for as long as possible. However, this can become a problem with dealing with hostage and interrogation situations since targets interact directly with her. They feel less afraid since they can see in her body language that she's not ready to resort to that final step, so the threat of death is not as potent. Notice how she threatens Ezekiel by barely missing his groin rather than something more vital like his head. That was a clear sign that she wasn't quite at the killing threat yet, and thus Ezekiel didn't have to worry too much about dying if he made his escape attempt. Can't quite say for certain the tenth plague would have affected Shizuri. It helps to leave a bit of ambiguity for if I find a place to reintroduce Ezekiel._

 _mohamadstar94: I hope you enjoy what's to come._

 _GENO BERSERK: I was wondering when someone was going to make that reference._

 _Generation Zero: Glad you liked the encounter between ITEM and Ezekiel. I wanted to give my spy a power set that complimented his job and Moses really fit. The story of Moses was all about escape; Moses escape from prosecution as an infant by remaining hidden, and the Ten Plagues being employed to convince the pharaoh to set the Hebrews free. All of that worked into Ezekiel's magic for cloaking and creating distractions for escape tactics. That's actually going to be a major part of this story; how secrets and lies can tear apart so many bonds. While this story originally started as a "What if..." experiment, it has since evolved into something that explores certain themes the original work doesn't cover too often, like family and trust. Give it a couple of months, maybe years, and you'll see exactly. I do want to give Misaki some spotlight, but that's not happening for a while. I do think you'll like what I do in the chapter with Touma and Mikoto's date._

 _general ironox: Patience. She's show up when she shows up. You can't rush art!_

 _Milly (Guest): Maybe, but that wouldn't be as funny._

 _Ryder (Guest): I'm thinking sometime during the Queen of the Adriatic Arc._

 **EDIT: Revised dialogue and general edits.**

 **Well, that took a while to answer. You know all what happens next.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 54: Love is War

When Touma Kamijou woke up the morning of the last day of summer, he had a skip in his step and a welt on his face, both incidences mostly unrelated to one another. The day before, he had asked Mikoto Misaka out on a date as a way to help him gauge if he really wanted to upgrade their friendship. He knew she loved him, but he was still unsure of his own feelings, so a date was the perfect way better judge his own feelings. Since this was the first time he's ever gone on a date with a girl, Touma was naturally excited.

As for the welt on his face, he received it from his sister after walking in on her in the shower and telling her about said date last night. Now, he didn't receive the welt for those things necessarily. When he received it for was for having not learned to knock before opening a bathroom door. The result was Shizuri crafting a paper fan from newspaper and tape and whacking him with it a few times as punishment. Said paper fan now sat in the corner of the living room, waiting to be used again the next time Touma messed up in front of his sister.

The was also the additional wrinkle of a sorcerer in Academy City that Touma was apparently unaware of until it was too late. After consulting Index, he quickly learned that this mystery sorcerer used magic based on the stories of Moses, suggesting that he or she was a of the Church of the Cross. However, Index couldn't quite tell which branch they were from based on the style of magic alone, leaving everyone in the dark as to who this person was and why they were in Academy City. In addition, the cameras in the area where the sorcerer's spells were used showed no traces of someone using magic, or even a struggle.

Thankfully, the welt on his face was already going down and barely noticeable by the time Touma woke up, so it shouldn't interfere with his date. In addition, all signs pointed to the sorcerer being long gone, so there was no real need to worry about him or her anyway. Touma was not about to let a little bit of misfortune ruin his good time today. After getting dressed in a clean shirt and having a quick breakfast with Shizuri, Touma was out the door, ready for his first date with a girl.

* * *

To say that Mikoto Misaka was excited the morning of the last day of summer would be an understatement. She was absolutely ecstatic that morning, and why shouldn't she? After all, today was the day that she was going to have her first date with her crush, Touma Kamijou. Ever since she confessed her feelings to him earlier that summer, she had been nothing but patient when waiting for an answer. In the meantime, she did everything she could to paint herself in a favorable light, making small advances to get closer to him and encourage a favorable decision. Now it looked like her advances were baring fruit and the two of them were going on a date. Sure, it didn't necessarily mean they were dating, but it was a start.

After a quick breakfast, Mikoto stood outside her dorm, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the object of her affections. Unfortunately, it seemed Touma's rotten luck arrived before him, along with someone Mikoto was not particularly happy to see.

"Hey, good morning!" a certain high school boy that was not Touma Kamijou greeted, "How lucky that I ran into you, Misaka. Where are you headed to? I'd be more than happy to walk with you part of the way if you don't mind some company."

"Oh, Unabara," Mikoto greeted uneasily, "Good morning."

"You look a little pale," the boy named Unabara noted, "Do you think you might be coming down with something?"

"Oh, no," Mikoto replied awkwardly.

This is Mitsuki Unabara, the grandson of the director of Tokiwodai Middle School and a persistent admirer of Mikoto's. He had brown hair, pale skin, and wore a yellow school sweater over a white shirt and slacks. The boy had been greeting Mikoto at least once a day for the last week or so, and it was becoming suffocating very quickly. Sadly, as the grandson of her school's director, Mikoto couldn't exactly just blow him off. That would lead to some serious social problems later down the line.

"I know this great little seafood restaurant just around the corner. Maybe we can grab a bite there?" Unabara offered.

'I just had breakfast and he's inviting me to lunch?' Mikoto thought to herself in disbelief.

"Oh! Uh. Well, I appreciate the invitation and all, but I actually have plans today," Mikoto replied, rejecting the offer as politely as she could.

"Okay, I'll come along and help you then," Unabara insisted, clearly not intending to be rejected so easily.

"Um, I'm actually waiting for someone else at the moment. And you know that they say, 'Three's a crowd'," Mikoto pushed.

"I don't mind at all," Unabara further insisted.

"Well, the thing is these plans I have with this person are kind of special…"

"Hey, Zapper! I didn't keep you waiting long did I!?" a familiar voice called out.

And there it was. While Mikoto hated that nickname to no end, she was more than welcoming of the person who used it. Looking past Unibara, the Level 5 was overjoyed to see her crush, Touma Kamijou, quickly rushing towards her. With her date now here, she could easily get away from her ever-persistent admirer.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Touma apologized upon arriving.

"Don't be. You're right on time," Mikoto insisted, thankful for the excuse to get away from Unibara.

"I take it this is the person you were waiting for?" Unabara inquired, butting into the conversation.

"… Aren't you the guy Mikoto was talking to in the hospital last week?" Touma asked obliviously, apparently only now noticing the other boy.

"Don't worry about that right now," Mikoto interrupted, "We've got a lot to do today, right?"

"I actually didn't plan anything," Touma admitted sheepishly, "I kind of got caught up in some other stuff so I didn't get the chance to plan."

"…We'll think of something on the way!" Mikoto panicked as she grabbed Touma by the hand and started running the other way, "Goodbye, Unabara! Nice talking to you!"

That little outburst unfortunately attracted a lot of attention, especially from the Tokiwodai girls in the dorm that just so happened to be passing by the windows in the front of the building. Pretty soon, everyone in Academy City will have heard the rumor that Mikoto Misaka blew off Mitsuki Unabara for a totally normally looking high school boy with spiky black hair. As for Unibara himself, he could only watch with downcast eyes as the Railgun ran off with the Imagine Breaker in hand.

* * *

In a back alley a considerable distance away from the Tokiwodai dorm building, Touma and Mikoto took a moment to catch their breaths after the latter dragged the former away rather forcefully. Touma was fairly certain that at the speed Mikoto ran, she would have been able to induce lift on him had he not kept in pace with her.

"Sorry to drag you away like that," Mikoto apologized, "I just really needed to get away from that guy.

"Mind telling me what all that was about?" Touma asked in a tired voice.

"His name's Mitsuki Unabara, and he's the grandson of my school's director," Mikoto explained, "He been approaching me while I'm alone nearly every day for more than a week now, but because of his status, I can't exactly just blow him off."

"So, he's a stalker?" Touma deduced.

"… Basically, yes."

"Well, we're going on a date now, right? That should settle everything pretty quickly," Touma proposed.

"How do you figure?" Mikoto inquired.

"Well, if you're seen on a date with me, that should make it pretty clear that you're not interested in him, right?" the Level 0 deduced, "Once he sees that, he'll have to stop bothering you for a date."

"How can you be so sure?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"I'm a guy! I know how guys think! No guy is stupid enough to try to make a move on a girl whose clearly into someone else!" Touma declared in a manner reminiscent to his conversations with the rest of the Delta Force.

"… That sounds stupid, but it's the best bet I have right now so I'll go along with it," Mikoto conceded.

"Come on, let's forget about that for now," Touma encouraged, "This is supposed to be a date, right? Let's have some fun before the sun sets and we have to get back to classes."

"Alright then. What do you want to do?" Mikoto asked.

"You have that big regional field trip to Liberal Arts City coming up, don't you? Why don't we get some last-minute shopping done?" Touma suggested.

"Better than hiding in an alley all day," Mikoto mused.

"I think Tsuchimikado and Aogami might have some objections to that," Touma joked.

"Pervert," Mikoto said lightheartedly as she led the way, "Come on. Keep up or I'll leave you behind."

* * *

The first stop for Touma and Mikoto's little shopping date was Seventh Mist's pajama department. Because of the Graviton Bombing Incident that got Touma roped into Judgement in the first place, Mikoto never got around to buying that new set of pajamas. Now that they were on their little shopping date, Mikoto figured it was the perfect chance to finally get those pajamas.

"What do you think of this set?" Mikoto asked, holding up a set commonly worn by girls her own age, a very simple set in a solid white.

"Um, I don't think so. It just doesn't scream 'you'," Touma replied, "How about this one?"

In Touma's hands was a set of pink pajamas with yellow polka dots, a design generally considered childish. Mikoto recognized this design very well, it was the same design she was looking at before she ran into Touma while he was helping a little girl look for a store.

"Are you making fun of me!?" Mikoto demanded, sparking slightly.

"No! Not at all!" Touma insisted, waving his right hand in front of him for safety, "I was just thinking you shouldn't be so embarrassed about your tastes, that's all! Besides, this should be a good thing! I know you so well I understand your tastes even though you do everything you can to hide it!"

As much as she hated to admit it, Touma had a point. How many times has she shown interest in something cute and genuinely consider childish only to turn around and deny liking it when someone made an offhand comment about said childishness? If her tastes weren't going to change any time soon, she was going to have learn to embrace them and like other people know it. It was about time she stopped hiding that side of her, and shatter that illusion.

"Alright, you win," Mikoto conceded, taking the set of pajamas from Touma, "I'll buy this set."

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought you were going to zap me there," Touma sighed in relief.

"Come on, I'm not that bad. I'm not going to zap you when you're only trying to help," Mikoto insisted.

"Keep telling yourself that," Touma joked, "So, what's the next stop?"

Following their visit in the pajama department, the pair's next stop was the swimsuit department. Since Liberal Arts City was a giant artificial island, Mikoto and the other girls were going to have plenty of time to swim. Thus, the Railgun decided she was going to try on a few new swimsuits and have her date judge them for her.

"Are you sure about this?" Touma asked wearily as he followed his date to the changing rooms, "With my luck, I'm fairly certain something will go horribly wrong."

"Oh, relax," Mikoto insisted, "I've known you for how long and you've never managed to walk in on me naked before."

"That only means it's bound to happen soon enough!" the Level 0 protested, "These are death flags your raising! Death flags!"

"Oh please! At worst, they're pervert flags," the Level 5 replied, disregarding Touma's protests, "Besides, I need someone to judge for me, and you'd done a pretty good job so far with the pajamas."

"You're not going to let me get out of this, are you?" Touma deadpanned.

"Nope," Mikoto chimed as she stepped into the changing room, "Just so you know, if you peek, I'm going to slap you."

"Well, better than getting zapped I guess," Touma conceded, rubbing his still slightly sore cheek.

"Perfect," Mikoto cheered as she disappeared behind the changing room curtain.

While his date was hidden away trying on new swimsuits, Touma was content sitting as far away from the changing room as possible. The last thing he needed was some ridiculous string of misfortunate events opening the curtain and potentially landing him some undeserved punishment. Besides, it was awkward enough to have him sit in the middle of the women's swimsuit section of the store. He didn't need accusations of him being a bigger pervert than he actual was. He could be a pervert, but he wasn't Aogami levels of perverted.

After a few minutes of waiting, the Mikoto opened the curtain to her changing sporting one of the various swimsuits she selected. The one she was currently wearing was a simple orange bikini that showed her athletic build and her unfortunately flat chest.

"So, what do you think?" the Level 5 asked her date.

"… Flat," Touma said absentmindedly.

"Come again?" Mikoto asked with a strained smile and some sparking bangs.

"I-I meant the design is flat!" Touma yelled as he raised his right hand in self-defense, realizing his mistake, "I was just expecting something with a bit more frills and color, that's all!"

"I thought so," Mikoto huffed, "Anyway, I have another one more that style if you want to see it."

"Uh, sure. Go right ahead," Touma chuckled. scratching his head.

"I'll just be a minute," Mikoto said as she closed the changing room curtain.

As soon as the curtain was closed, Touma let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding until then.

"Man, that was close," Touma sighed in relief.

"I can still hear you, you know!" Mikoto yelled from the changing room, instantly shutting Touma up.

In the end, Mikoto decided to buy two swimsuits: the orange bikini she showed Touma earlier and a frilly white bikini with rainbow polka dots. One was for her trip, the other was an emergency back-up. Which was which was for Mikoto to know and for no one else to ever find out.

"So, what else is on the list?" Touma asked as he walked alongside Mikoto, carrying her bags like a gentleman.

"Actually, that was everything," Mikoto admitted, "I've already had everything else taken care of for a while now."

"Really? Huh?" Touma mused, "So, what do you want to do now?"

"How about that?" Mikoto suggested, pointing towards a nearby glasses store, "That could be an interesting place to browse."

With no better idea, Touma followed Mikoto into the glasses store and began trying on the various pairs of glasses they had available.

"What do you think of these?" Mikoto asked, putting on a pair of pink glasses with an intricate frame.

"Very studious," Touma mused, "They make you look like a librarian or something."

"Here, you try on a pair too," the Railgun giggled, handing Touma a pair of black, rectangle frame glasses.

"How do I look?" Touma asked, resting his chin on his left knuckle and his left elbow in his right hand.

"Those… actually look really go on you," Mikoto replied, genuinely surprised, "Like, they look surprisingly good on you."

"Really?" Touma mused, checking himself in the mirror, "Maybe I'll reserve this pair for if I ever need glasses. Then again, with my luck they'd probably break as soon as the warranty expires."

"I'm not sure you can do that," Mikoto giggled, "Besides, I think you just fine without glasses."

"Thanks," Touma replied, taking off the glasses and checking the time, "It almost noon. You want to look for some place to eat?"

"You're paying right?" Mikoto asked jokingly as she walked out the store, "It's supposed to be the guy that pays for the meal, right?"

"Please don't hold that against me," Touma begged as he chased after Mikoto out of the store.

* * *

Leaving Seventh Mist behind them, Touma made their way through District 7 for some place to eat lunch. Unfortunately, everywhere seemed to be packed and there didn't seem to be anywhere that had extra space for the would-be-couple. Of course, it was only natural given that it was August 31st, the last day of summer vacation.

"You wait here. I'm going to see if I can negotiate a table at this place," Mikoto instructed, stopping Touma in front of a family restaurant.

"I thought you didn't like using your Level 5 status for getting perks," Touma said, surprised.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've done it. Remember the blimp?" the Level 5 scoffed, "Besides, it's a special occasion. Don't worry. This should only be a minute."

Once Mikoto disappeared into the restaurant, Touma decided to get out of the sun and wait under a nearby tree. As he waited there, he heard the sound of a dog barking not too far away. Following the sound of the dog's voice, Touma saw a runaway dog being chased by a young boy, presumably its owner, and another teenage boy whose face Touma recognized from earlier that day, Mitsuki Unabara. Soon after, Unabara managed to grab hold of the dog's leash and getting it to stop before handing the leash over to the young boy. With his dog back under control, the boy gave Unabara a quick thank you before taking his leave, leading Unabara to take notice of Touma not too far away.

"So, you're a friend of Misaka's?" Unabara asked, joining Touma under the tree.

"Her crush, actually. Not to brag or anything. Is that a problem?" Touma answered nonchalantly, "The name's Touma Kamijou, by the way."

"Mitsuki Unabara," the other boy replied, formally introducing himself, "Sorry. I'm just not exactly overjoyed to hear she has a crush on someone else from someone other than her. Lucky you, though. Wish she told me how she really felt."

"Trust me, I'm anything but lucky," Touma chuckled somewhat bitterly, "It's not that she didn't want anything to do with you. She just gets easily embarrassed by this kind of stuff. It took some pretty heavy stuff before she had the guts to tell me how she felt about me, and I haven't even given her a proper answer yet."

"So, you're not dating?"

"Technically no. We've just been pretty good friends for some time," Touma answered, "This date is just our way testing the waters and helping me find an answer."

"And where are you with that?" Unabara inquired.

"… Still unsure," Touma sighed, scratching his head.

"So, I still have a chance of winning her over?" Unabara asked hopefully.

"… If I say no, I guess," Touma shrugged awkwardly.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to pressure you into a certain decision or anything," Unabara apologized, "I just want a fair chance at Misaka, that's all. I just wish she was honest with me about how she felt. You understand, right?"

"Your stalking of her probably didn't help your case," Touma deadpanned.

"Yeah, hindsight's twenty-twenty," Unabara chuckled.

"Hey, idiot," a familiar voice butt in.

Looking away from his previous conversation partner, Touma saw that a rather miffed Mikoto had returned from the restaurant. She was glaring daggers at him, like he had done something wrong.

"Oh, hey Mikoto," Touma greeted wearily, "Did you get us a table?"

"No, they couldn't make room," the Railgun replied, grabbing Touma by the hand, "Come on, let's try some other place."

"Oh, uh, okay," Touma said as he was dragged away, "Nice speaking to you, Unabara."

Unabara simply waved in reply, watching wistfully as Mikoto and Touma disappeared around the corner.

As soon as she was sure Mitsuki Unabara was out of sight and hearing range, she turned around to face Touma and gave him a hard glare in the eye.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mikoto demanded, "This was your plan, so why are you sabotaging it and getting all buddy-buddy with him?"

"I wasn't trying to sabotage anything. I was just getting to know him," Touma defended, "Honestly, it made me feel really bad about this whole thing."

"What do you mean?" Mikoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's actually a really nice guy, and I think he really does like you," Touma explained, "I think you should at least give him a chance."

"That's not exactly something you tell the girl your out on a date with," Mikoto deadpanned, "Besides, wasn't the whole point of making this date so public to rub it in his face and show that I'm with you and thus not interested."

"But that's the thing, we're not together," Touma countered, "As far as our relationship is concerned, the best way I can put it is it's complicated. We both know how you feel about me, but I don't know how I feel, nor what will happen if I decide to take the plunge... I'm just saying that if things don't work out between us and he seeks you out again, maybe give him a little bit more of a chance, okay? Besides, even if things don't work out, it doesn't mean we have to stop being friends."

As much as Mikoto hated to admit it, Touma was right. At this point, she was on the market and every boy she knew at least deserved chance to ask her out and prove he was a good partner. Unabara in particular had shown to be very devoted, even if his persistence came off as creepy at times. She should at least give him a chance to show that can be not creepy. Plus, Touma was a great judge of character. Surely she could trust his judgement on this.

"You have way with words, you know that?" Mikoto sighed in defeat, "Alright, you win. I'll give Unabara a chance some time. Although, I doubt he'll be able to top the guy who saved my life."

"Hey, don't look so depressed. We can still finish our date first," Touma said reassuringly, "Come on, we still haven't eaten lunch yet."

"We can always do fast food take-out," Mikoto suggested.

* * *

After a bit of searching, Touma and Mikoto were able to find a fast food restaurant, a little place called Moc Ronall's, that happened to do take-out. It was just as packed as any other place, so it was going to take some time for either of them to order, but it was better than nothing.

"Alright, I'll go order for us. You go and found a place for use to eat," Mikoto instructed.

"You're paying right?" Touma asked.

"Consider this me paying you back for setting me straight today," Mikoto giggled, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

As Touma watched his date disappear into the crowded mess that was the Moc Donald's, he couldn't help but feel like the date had gone exceptionally well. He didn't get zapped all day, he helped Mikoto get ready for her trip and deal with her stalker problem, and the two of them both had a genuinely fun time. Sure, there were a few close calls and missteps here and there, but overall nothing went terribly wrong.

That was the part that worried Touma. This was usually the part of the story where all his recent good fortune was countered with a single isolated instance of misfortune. It was all an effort to keep the universe in balance. He knew how his life worked at this point. Something terrible was going to happen like one of his friends revealing he was a sorcerer and trying to kill him, or someone he trusts to be totally innocent is going to stab him in the back. He just knew something terrible was going to happen any second now.

"Hello again, Kamijou. Fancy meeting you here so soon," a familiar voice said from behind him.

Turning around, Touma was surprised and relieved to see Mitsuki Unabara behind him. Surely, there was no way that someone as nice and unassuming as him would turn out to be a magician who would stab him in the back with a stone knife.

"Oh, hey Unabara," Touma greeted, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a place to eat," Unabara answer, "How about you? Is Misaka still with you?"

"Yeah, she's in that Moc Ronall's getting us lunch," Touma replied, nodding his head to said restaurant.

And that's when it happened. As he nodded his head to the restaurant, in the corner of his eye Touma saw a high school boy identical to Mitsuki Unabara run into the Moc Ronald's. He appeared to have bandages wrapped around his arm and seemed to be in a panic, as if he was trying to find help or warn someone.

"Say, Unabara, do happen to a twin? I feel like I've seen your face somewhere before." Touma asked as calmly as he could.

"Huh? No, can't say I do," the now suspicious boy answered.

"Really? Well, I need to find some place for Mikoto and I to eat, so I'll just be going now," Touma segued as he turned around, trying to put some distance between the two of them, "I'll see you some other time."

And then it happened. Just as Touma was about to leave, he felt something rush past his right ear by barely a hair. A moment later, the car parked just a bit in front of him exploded, torn asunder by some unknown force. Turning around, Touma was shocked to see Mitsuki Unabara holding a stone knife, polished to a shine. Gone was the friendly expression he wore on his face. It was replaced with the look of someone who was out for blood.

"Rotten luck," Touma growled as he took off running.

* * *

In the Moc Ronall's Mikoto had just gotten around to ordering lunch for her at Touma. With her bag of take-out in hand, she was about to leave to find her date so they could eat when a familiar face pushed through the crowd. To her surprise, Mituski Unabara collapsed on the ground in front of her, looking worse for wear with bandages all around his right arm.

"Unabara!? What are you doing here!?" Mikoto asked surprised, "What happened to your arm!?"

"You have to get out of here!" Unabara cried, ignoring Mikoto's question, "You're in danger!"

"Idiot! Worry about yourself first!" Mikoto yelled, "Somebody call an ambulance!"

A few minutes later, an ambulance and several paramedics arrived and placed the high school boy on a stretcher intending to take him to the hospital. However, before he could be taken away, he called out to Mikoto, begging her to listen to him.

"Please, you have to listen to me!" Unabara begged, "You're in serious danger!"

"What's this danger you keep talking about?" Mikoto inquired, "What happened to being uncomfortably insistent on hitting on me?"

"That wasn't me!" Unabara cried, cradling his wound, "Some guy kidnapped me and cut off the skin from my arm! Somehow, it let him take on my appearance! I've never seen an Esper Ability like that before!"

'Someone using another person's face by using their skin as a medium?' Mikoto thought in shock, 'That sounds like something a sorcerer would do. If that's the case…"

* * *

Elsewhere in Academy City, Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, and Index was sitting down in one of their regular cafes for lunch. As per usual, Uiahru and Index were gorging themselves in sweets, although Index was showing so relative restraint, only eating twice as much as Uiharu as opposed to five times as much. Kuroko was pretty bored without Mikoto around, and Saten was hyped up on the latest rumors.

"Hey Shirai, have you heard from Misaka today?" Saten asked.

"No," Kuroko moaned, "I haven't seen her since this morning. She said she had plans today"

"Do you have any what those plans are?" Uiharu inquired.

"Not a clue," Kuroko sighed.

"Well, a little birdie told me she's out on a date today," Saten revealed with a sly smile.

"WHAT!?" Kuroko yelled, suddenly slamming her hands on the table, "Impossible! Sissy would never, ever, do something like that! Most certainly not without telling me!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Saten smirked, "Word on the street is she turned down some bigwig named Mitsuki Unabara in favor of an unimpressive high school boy with spiky black hair. Sound like someone?"

"You think Kamijou actually made a move!?" Uiharu asked, caught up in the rumor.

"There's no way!" Kuroko denied, "Those two couldn't possibly have a relationship upgrade! Especially not without me!"

Before Kuroko could continue her usual tirade, Saten's phone began to ring. Checking the caller ID, it was none other that Touma Kamijou on the other end of the line.

"Speak of the devil," Saten mused as she picked up the phone, "Hey Kamijou! Your date going well?"

" _No time for games right now, Flipper!_ " Touma yelled on the other end, " _Is Index with you!? I need you to put her on the phone, now!_ "

"Okay, geez, I was just kidding! I'll put you on speaker now," Saten whined as she pulled the phone away from her head and pressed the Speaker button, "Alright, you're on speaker and everyone but Misaka is with us."

" _Index! I think we have another sorcerer in town!_ " Touma cried over the phone, " _And I don't think he's the same one we found traces of yesterday!_ "

"Are you sure?" Kuroko asked, suddenly getting serious.

"Wait, why is there so much wind on your end?" Index asked obliviously.

* * *

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm running for my life here!" Touma yelled as he surfed through the back alleys of Academy City.

" _Can you describe him? He's clothes, weapons, behavior?_ " Index requested.

"Yeah sure," Touma replied as he narrowly dodged another magical blast from the fake Unabara, "He's using someone else's face, a guy named Mitsuki Unabara and he's carrying around a black stone knife, polished to a shine. Somehow, he's able to blow things up just by pointing it in the general direction of something."

" _The knife he carries is made of obsidian, I know it_ ," Index reported, " _I think it might be the Spear of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli._ "

"Two-loo-what!?" Touma asked in utter confusion.

" _An Aztec God_ ," the nun-in-training explained, " _He's name means 'Lord of the House of Dawn'. The spear is said to kill anyone who is bathed in the light of Venus._ "

"Never mind the background! Just tell me what I should do!" Touma demanded as some nearby trashcans were blown up by the pursuing sorcerer, "I just need to know how I'm supposed to get rid of this guy! Quickly!"

" _The sorcerer probably just has a replica of the spear. It's probably a mirror_ ," Index replied, " _He'll attack by reflecting the light from Venus from the spear's obsidian blade. I think the best thing for you to do is try to block it with your right hand._ "

"Okay, simple enough," Touma said as he turned a corner, barely dodging another Venus Light Blast, "Is he using this Aztec Magic to disguise himself as Unabara?"

" _Aztec Priests would flay the skin of a human sacrifice and wear it. I'm guessing this is analogous_ ," Index deduced.

"Wait, they do what with the skin!?" Touma asked in shock as he surfed down a flight of stairs.

" _First they strip it off with a knife, and then they wear it_ ," Index explained, " _If he's just using it as a disguise, It's possible he just took a small portion of skin and used it to change his appearance._ "

"Man, these sorcerers are twisted," Touma cringed as he surfed towards a construction site, hoping to lose his pursuing inside.

" _Kamijou, where are you right now?_ " Kuroko requested.

"A construction site in District 7!" Touma answered as he surfed right into a dead end, "And just my luck, I ran right into a dead end!"

" _Don't worry, I'm tracking your location now using your ODD_ ," Uiharu relayed, " _Just keep this sorcerer occupied until we can arrive!_ "

"Oh yeah, totally simple!" Touma snarked as he hung up and jumped off his hoverboard.

Turning around, Touma saw the fake Unabara had caught up behind him and had his obsidian knife at the ready. Index had told him that the spell worked by reflecting light, which means if Touma wanted to disable it long enough to destroy the knife with Imagine Breaker, he needed some way to interfere with the flow of light.

Once the light reflected off the knife, it became a weapon, a destructive force that could only be halted with Imagine Breaker. The light no longer obeyed the laws of physics and thus did not reflect off of other objects, so improvising a mirror shield of some sort was out of the question. However, before the light hit the knife, it was totally normal light, so Touma's opportunity to counterattack lay there.

Spotting a shovel in a pile of cement powder nearby, Touma immediately formed a plan of attack. Grabbing the shovel, the Level 0 threw a massive amount of cement at the pursuing sorcerer. The attack created a thick cloud of cement dust, blocking out all light around the fake Unabara, blocking his view and cutting him off from the light of Venus. From behind the dust cloud, Touma threw the shovel at his opponent's head, an attack that was only barely dodged by the sorcerer.

Immediately afterwards, Touma charged at the sorcerer with ODD drawn in his left hand in baton mode and his right hand chambered for a punch. He aimed to shatter the knife with his right hand, but the fake Unabara managed to step back before the fist could reach. In retaliation, the sorcerer thrust his obsidian blade at the unfortunate student, but Touma managed to parry the knife with his ODD. The two weapons clashed a second time and locked together, with Touma trying to use the opportunity to grab the obsidian knife with his right hand and negate its magical properties. However, the fake Unabara would not allow that to happen and broke away from the blade lock, putting some distance between him and Touma.

Suddenly, a gust of wind passed through the construction site, blowing away the cement dust cloud that covered the battlefield up until that point. With the dust cloud gone and the light of Venus shining on him once again, the Aztec sorcerer raised his obsidian knife triumphantly, ready to deal the killing blow

"It's over for you! Time to say your prayers!" the fake Unabara taunted as he prepared his attack.

However, what the sorcerer failed to notice was the earlier use of the cement dust did more than just create a smokescreen. It also dirtied his blade, making it incapable of reflecting light, rendering his spell impossible is it was. By the time the caster noticed the issue, it was already too late.

"Cement dust? Damn it!" the sorcerer cursed as he hastily tried to clean his blade.

By then, Touma had already closed the distance between them. With a running start, the Level 0 unleashed his signature right hook upon the sorcerer's face. Upon impact, the sound of shattering glass rang out, as did the sound of cracking stone. The punched forced the fake Unibara on his knees and knocked the knife out of his hand, leaving him at the mercy of the misfortunate Kamijou.

Looking down at his cornered foe, Touma could see that the face Mitsuki Unibara had been cracked and shattered, starting to fall away like fragments of a clay statue. Beneath that fake face was another, one with much darker skin tones that one would expect from Central America.

"Now then, I have a question," Touma demanded with heavy breaths, "Why did you pick Unabara's body as your disguise? To get close to Mikoto? Why her?"

"Heh. You're not joking, you really don't get it, do you," the fake Unabara chuckled.

"Don't get what?"

"You have access to the 103000 grimoires," the sorcerer explained, standing up, "And if that wasn't enough, you've made friends with some interesting people lately. Among which are a few sorcerers and two Level 5 Espers, one of which happens to be your older sister. You're forming a group of supporters being referred to as the Kamijou Faction."

"The what?" Touma asked in confusion, "Dude, you're not making sense."

"Your friends. Together, their power threatens the balance between the two worlds," the fake Unabara clarified, "You aren't the only one I'm targeting for extermination. I want every member of the Kamijou Faction. My plan was to use the faces of people familiar to you to erode your trust and destroy you from the inside out."

"Sneaky punk," Touma growled, clinching his fist.

"Unfortunately, Mitsuki Unabara's identity is useless to me now," the fake continued, "I'll have you use someone else's body as my disguise."

"You don't mean… you were going to use Mikoto?" Touma growled, "You…!"

"Oh no," the sorcerer replied as he dove for his fallen knife, "I think your face will suit my purposes perfectly!"

With his knife back in hand and polished to a shine, the fake Unabara reflected the light from Venus once again with the intent to kill. However, Touma managed to dodge away before the sorcerer could get the angle of his knife just right, so instead of destroying the high school boy, all he did was hit the metal bars and girders comprising the construction site, compromising its structural integrity. While the fake was distracted by this misstep, Touma used it as an opportunity to get the jump on his opponent. Before the sorcerer knew it, Touma had closed the distance between them and launched his right fist. Unable to react quickly enough, the sorcerer could only watch as his obsidian knife was shattered by Imagine Breaker, leaving him without the use of his trusted offensive spell.

With magic no longer an option for combat, the two young men were forced into close-quarters-combat. Touma was the first to attack, swinging his ODD in baton mode at the fake's head. After taking the hit to the face, the sorcerer retaliated with two hit combo to Touma's gut, making him lose his grip on his weapon and drop it to the ground. Not one to give up, Touma charged forward again with a right hook, a move mirrored by his opponent, catching them in a cross counter. Said cross counter forced both of them back, barely saving them from being crushed by a falling girder knocked lose by the fake Unibara's misfired spell.

"I liked you. I actually thought could be friends," Touma admitted as he faced his opponent.

"Really? I never thought anything like that about you," the fake Unabara replied.

"You could have fooled me," Touma argued, the irony of that statement not escaping him, "And what about all that stuff you said about liking Mikoto? Was that all just an act too, wasn't it? And to think I went out of my way to convince her to at least give you a chance."

"Don't judge me for what you can't understand!" the sorcerer yelled back, "It's true that I'm a fake, but that doesn't change the fact that I wanted to protect Misaka! This stupid stunt wasn't my plan to begin with, but then my superiors determined that the Kamijou Faction was just too dangerous!"

"Then you…"

"If you had just been less troublesome, if you had just back down and made it possible for me to report that you weren't a threat, we wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have had to trick Misaka!"

"… Wow, you're actually in love with her, aren't you?" Touma said in realization.

More girders crashed into the ground around them, as if to symbolize the truth bomb that just dropped on Touma.

"Yes, but you're her friend, her crush, and now I'm your enemy!" the fake Unabara declared, standing his ground.

"… You leave me with not choice," Touma said as he raised his right fist to his opponent, "That face isn't yours! It's an illusion that I'm going to shatter!"

Their reasons for fighting made clear, the two boys once again clashed in combat. Touma and the first move, changing headfirst with his right fist chambered. He threw a punch, but the fake Unibara sidestepped to the right and kneed him in the gut in a counterattack. Not about to let his opponent get a free hit in, Touma mentally recalled his ODD to his left hand, sending the previously dropped weapon on a collision course with the back of the sorcerer's head. All the while, more and more girders crashed down around them, making their battlefield and increasingly dangerous one.

When the ODD returned to Touma left hand, he immediately threw a left hook at the fake's face, sending him backwards. Touma then tried to follow this attack with a high kick, only to miss and get turned around, leaving his back open to get smashed in by the sorcerer. When the fake Unabara tried to grab Touma from behind, the Level 0 retaliated by shifting his ODD into baton mode and smacking the sorcerer in the face, forcing him back.

As soon as some distance was made between the two of them, a girder fell right between them, blinding Touma with the dust cloud it kicked up. This gave the fake Unabara the perfect opportunity to tackle Touma to the ground. Once on the ground, the two boys rolled around, fighting to pin the other down. The fake Unabara ultimately won that exchange, but in doing so he failed to see the impending danger.

From his position pinned to the ground, Touma saw a girder heading straight for them. Acting quickly, he mentally called for his hoverboard to return to him and kicked the sorcerer pinning him off him. As soon as he was free, the hoverboard arrived underneath him, scoping the high school boy off the ground and carrying him away from the falling girders. However, the fake Unabara had no luxury and was left in the path of the falling metal bars.

"Move, quick!" Touma begged.

Not wishing such a fate upon anyone, Touma stood up on top of the hoverboard that carried him to safety and stirred it towards the fallen sorcerer. As he raced to save his opponent, Touma was met with a sad, almost resigned, smile from the fake Unabara, as if excepting his fate. As Touma reached out in a last ditch effort to save the false friend, he briefly heard something from the girder about to fall on the poor sorcerer.

It was the sound of electrical buzzing.

When the girder finally hit the ground, it was followed by dozens of other girders, kicking up a dust cloud that could be seen from city blocks away. When the dust settled, Touma was surprised to see that he was perfectly fine. After all the girders fell, he had been thrown of his board and forced into fetal position to seek cover. To his surprise, he went completely unscathed with the girders closest to him having landed in such a way that they propped each other up, as if forming a tent. Getting up from his hiding spot, Touma could see that the fake Unabara was not so lucky, getting caught and pinned under two of the smaller girders that fell from above. He was hurt badly, but still alive.

"It looks like… I've lost this fight," the fake Unabara mused weakly.

"Yes, you have," Touma confirmed.

"I won't be the last one they send after you and your group. Hell, I probably wasn't even the first," the sorcerer revealed, "Like it or not... you and Misaka will still be targets. Will you protect her for me? Will you keep her safe? No matter where she is or what she's doing swear to me... you'll be there for her. Please... will you make me that promise?"

For Touma, the answer was obvious. Why wouldn't it be? It was a promise to protect, the kind of promise Touma always made good on. But more importantly, it was a promise to protect someone dear to him, a close friend who happened to love him. He never needed a reason to protect someone, but having a reason made him all the more determined to see it through.

"Of course I'll protect her," Touma replied with a smile, "No matter what my happen, I'll be by Mikoto's side and protect her and her world."

"For crying out loud…," the fake Unabara whined weakly, "That's the worst possible answer for me."

"Is that so," Touma chuckled, "What do you think, Zapper? Did I give a bad response?"

To the fake Unabara's surprise, the Railgun herself stepped out from behind one of the fallen girders. She was clutching a paper bag of fast food to her chest, and her face was a deep shade of red. It was pretty obvious that she was around long enough to hear at least the last part of the conversation.

"How long did you know I was there?" Mikoto inquired as she approached, averting her eyes from the two boys.

"Since all the girders fell," Touma shrugged, "You didn't think I wouldn't notice you using magnetism to direct those things away from me, did you? We both know I'm not lucky enough to get through something like that unscathed without help."

"So… you heard all that?" the fake Unabara asked weakly.

"… Yes, I did," Mikoto replied, "It does seem like something this idiot would say."

"… I'm sorry… for deceiving you," the sorcerer apologized, "I really did… want to… protect you… I really do… love you…"

"It's okay. I appreciate what you were trying to do, but you don't have to worry so much. I can handle myself," Mikoto said reassuringly, "Besides, I have this idiot watching my back. I'll be just fine."

"It seems… I've lost to Touma Kamijou… I more ways then one," the fake Unabara mused.

"Don't feel so bad. I really was planning on letting you have a chance at Zapper here after today," Touma said.

"Can we at least know your name?" Mikoto asked hopefully, "I want to know the name of the idiot that went this far just to try and protect me."

"… It's Etzali," the Aztec magician replied with a somber smile, "My name is Etzali."

"It's nice to meet you, Etzali," Touma returned, "I'll be sure to keep that promise."

A moment later, Kuroko and Uiharu teleported on to the scene. When they arrived, they were quite shocked to find the state the construction site had been in. Granted, given what Touma normally gets involved in, it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise.

"Sissy! Kamijou!" Kuroko greeted, "What in the world happened here!?"

"The truth: Etzali here accidentally blasted the place into falling apart. The official story: Freak construction accident," Touma replied, "Uiharu, contact an ambulance. Our sorcerer friend here is going to need medical attention. Shirai, teleport these beams off of him and help me move him on to my hoverboard. We'll use it as a stretcher until the paramedics arrive."

Following Touma's instructions, the two fellow members of Judgement got straight to work getting Etzali out of his little jam. As the Judgement Officers moved him on to the makeshift stretcher and moved him outside, the sorcerer couldn't help but chuckle silently to himself how easily Touma took control of the situation and led his peers

'You really are the leader of the Kamijou Faction, Touma Kamijou,' Etzali thought to himself as he succumbed to his injuries, falling unconscious.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple! You all know my name! This isn't the first time we've done this!" Animan cried, plunging his sword into the ground.**

 **"Aisa Himegami here as Priestess Number 1," the girl besides him added, "A pleasure as always."**

 **"That was an interesting chapter, huh?" Animan asked his assistant, "It's been a while since I written a date chapter."**

 **"I really wish you didn't," Himegami sulked.**

 **"Come on, don't be so depressed!" Animan encouraged, "At least you got to see Touma in those glasses."**

 **"... that handsome jerk," the miko whispered under her breath, blushing.**

 **"Yeah, he look hot in those," the master of the temple nodded, holding his chin, "Not that I'm into guys or anything."**

 **"Master, it would appear that we are out of time," Himegami pointed out.**

 **"So it would seem," Animan agreed, pulling his sword out of the ground and striking a pose, "We'll see you all next time with the start of the next story of the Three Stories Arc. Look out for chapter 55, 'The Last'."**

 **"See you all then," Himegami said, mimicking her master with her police baton.**

 **"... You still have that?" Animan asked wearily.**


	55. The Last

**Here we are again. The start of the second story of the Three Stories Arc is here. I'll tell you right now, don't expect too much to be different here from what happens in canon. All of the differences here are emotion-based changes.**

 **Second, I want to address something a lot of you have brought to my attention, the conversation between Touma and Mikoto regarding Etzali's advances. Many of you have complained that that scene in particular was poorly done, and I am inclined to agree. My intention was to have Touma suggest to Mikoto to give Etzali, then under the guise of Unabara, at least a chance to prove himself in the event that her relationship with Touma did not work out. As many of you noted, my word choice in the dialogue made it seem like Touma was trying to push Mikoto away from him, which was most definately not my intent as certified Kamikoto trash. As such, I have since revised the last chapter with new dialogue to (hopefully) fix the issue and portray that scene as intended. Special thanks to ArmoredCoreNineBall for helping me fix that.**

 **For that, I must say thank you for all of the criticism. If not for your useful, albeit a bit harsh at times, reviews, the issue would have completely gone under the radar and it never would have been remedied.**

 **Now, let's get to those reviews answered.**

 _0 Jordinio 0: Thank you for the criticisms. Looking back, the fight definitely was a bit weak. In trying to keep with how certain events are not directly impacted from the changes so far, I ended up only making small additions to the fight, making use of Touma's expanded arsenal in a very limited capacity. Actions scenes have just never been my strongest suit. I'll try to improve on that in the future._

 _ARandomFanfictionAuthor: This story started as a "what-if?" project, so its only natural for some things to remain unchanged, so you can count on GROUP still becoming a thing. I'm definitely making something a bit more significant of the Kamijou Faction. When watching the anime, I always found it weird that the Kamijou Faction was brought up and then never mentioned again, so I'm giving the idea of it being a recognized faction more significance here._

 _Nemonobody001: I think the title of the chapter "The Last" should be pretty self explanatory for your question._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Actually, Accelerator's story spans across both of Touma's stories, with Accelerator's story spanning from midnight August 30 to about 8:00 pm the same day. I'm writing based on how the anime presented everything, showing off Unabara, then Last Order, and finally Ouma. Placement of events in the timeline should still be pretty clear if I've written them properly._

 _ahsoei: Yeah, admittedly not my best work. I'll try to improve on making scenes more distinct from the original and providing better relationship development on focus chapters._

 _fuji92: The criticisms have been heard and they have been answered with revisions. I'm will be going into the current mystery of the Kamijou Faction during my coverage of the Ouma Yamisaka story, so you'll just have to wait until then to see how I handle that mystery._

 _mohamadstar94: Nice to see someone compliment the date._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Thanks again for help in making those revision possible. Sadly, I couldn't make too much different last chapter in terms of conflicts, but I can at least say I made a pretty entertaining date with at least a few good jokes. I'm not entirely sure about including Liberal Arts City just yet. Considering its a field trip for the middle school students and there would be no way to get Touma or Index involved that would feel natural, there's not much I could do to change it and thus warrant my own take on it. Looking at the timeline on Baka-Tsuki, Liberal Arts City and Accelerator's Necromancer Arcs happen in a dead-space between the Kazakiri and Orsala Arcs, so I may be able to do something special I've been meaning to do with Touma in the time that the girls are away. Still debating on if I should just outright leave the Liberal Arts City Arc be._

 _Aminadab Brulle: The issues you brought up have been noted and remedied in revisions. As for Kuroko, it's more likely she's go full carnal when Kamikoto sails to get in on the action herself._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you!_

 _GunsAndMagic: Can't really take credit for the fight since most of it was pulled from the anime adaptation. Trying to not do that too often. I wanted that Kamijou Faction subplot to have a bit more substance and significance, so I have plans to having it mentioned more often than just in this one arc._

 _TeotakuFantasia: No man should be up at 2am in the morning in their local timezone. Unless your a night-shift worker. Night-shift workers need to do their damn jobs._

 _fencer29: Yeah, very easy mistake. Probably should have chosen a different name to avoid the issue, but whatever. Glad to see you liked the chapter._

 _drunkenlullabies90: Actually, it's not OOC for Touma considering this is exactly what he does in canon in the original story. However, the dialogue is definitely awkward and forced, which has since been rectified._

 _Isokage (Guest): I am Kamikoto trash! You all saw this coming when you read the description! Glad you liked the chapter so much. As soon as I saw a picture of Touma with glasses, I knew I needed to squeeze a scene like that in. I don't imagine their relationship would change too greatly. Maybe some extra curiosity on Touma's part regarding Itsuwa's technique. Mini Misaka is most adorable Misaka. I'm thinking either Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla with Mikoto as a Psudo-Servant._

 _Guest (1): Thank you!_

 _Stitches (Guest): Glad you liked the date in the last chapter. Hey, to each their own on ships. Itsuwa is actually my favorite Magic Side girl, so I can see why you prefer her._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: Okay, first of all, that's horrible. (It's Etzali.) And second, that would just not be in character for Touma or Mikoto. They are just not wrathful to that extreme, Touma especially. Anyway, yeah, not too much was changed from how events originally played out. Going forward, it would be best to only expect changes that would result because of direct interference by other character's inclusions or adjusted outlooks. As you'll see in this chapter, most of the events remain unchanged, but the emotion behind them is very much affected by changes in backstory._

 _Archangel Gabe (Guest): I'm glad you liked the chapter overall, and I understand the concerns you had with it as well. Honestly, this was not my best work, especially halfway through. I have already remedied the conversation regarding Etzali, so hopefully it falls more in line with what I intended for the chapter. The way the chapter ended was simply staying consistent with the rest of the story. Touma is a law enforcer here, taking people into custody and getting them medical treatment is part of his job. In addition, it gives him more opportunities for creating cover-ups when magic gets involved. I do have big things planned with all the developments and changes I'm making, so just sit tight as they come along._

 **Alright then. The reviews are all taken care of, so you all know the drill at this point.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 55: The Last

The night of August 30 was a relatively normal one for the top ranked Esper in Academy City. The albino high school age boy was making a routine trip to the convenience store to restock on his supply of canned coffee. As per usual, he bought up a majority of the store's supply of his preferred brand of black coffee. He liked it best that way.

After making his purchase and leaving the store, he started down his normal route back to his apartment. As he walked down the moonlit streets of Academy City, Accelerator ran into another regular occurrence for him, or rather the occurrence ran into him. As he was minding his own business, a random stranger he had never met before charged at his rear with a metal baseball bat. And as per usual, this stranger posed no threat, his feeble attack easily blocked by Accelerator's Automatic Reflection, the most basic application of his Vector Manipulation. Thus, the stranger was left sprawling on the ground, clutching the wrist that was holding the reflected bat.

Not too long after, Accelerator was confronted by even more strangers, all of them wearing an expression on their face that said they thought they were hot stuff. This was the one the that changed with Accelerator's usual routine, these confrontations were becoming more frequent. Seeing as this batch of idiots would be no better chance than the last one, the Level 5 simply stood there and took their attacks, patiently waiting for the inevitable moment that they were all left on the ground with broken bones and dislocated joints. That moment came to pass within five seconds of the group's arrival. Afterwards, Accelerator simply continued walking, pretending nothing of significance had just happened.

The source of this change in the albino's daily routine was obvious. It all came back to the shutting down of Project Level 6 Shift. After he lost to a Level 0 in a fight, the experiment was shut down due to the contradiction with the basic premise, that Accelerator was the strongest Esper in Academy City. Soon enough, word got out about his defeat and the Academy City rumor mill took it from there, spreading storied about how the weakest Level 0 defeated the strongest Level 5. Suddenly, everyone in Academy City thought they had a chance at beating the First Ranked Level 5 and taking the title of top dog for themselves, leading to the increase in pointless challenges Accelerator was facing.

However, there was a crucial detail that the rumor left out, a detail Accelerator knew all too well. The Level 0 that beat him was not a normal Level 0. He was the exception to the rule. That Level 0 was Touma Kamijou, the first, best, and only childhood of Yuri Suzushina, and the only person in Academy City with the means to beat him in a fight. He was the only person who had that mysterious right hand that could bypass Accelerator's Ability; the only person with even a miniscule chance of winning that fight. And yet, because of that lack of information, idiots all around Academy City thought they had a chance at victory.

It was not how Accelerator envisioned his reunion with his only true friend. What he had planned was to complete Project Level 6 Shift, become strong enough to get everyone to leave him alone, finally dedicate some time towards finding Touma, and then reconnect with him over a can of coffee. Instead, Touma learned about the existence of the experiment halfway through and fought him to put an end to it to save the Sisters. He always did have a knack for playing the hero, especially when girls were involved.

Now, Accelerator was left with pretty much nothing. Because of that defeat, he lost whatever reputation of unparalleled strength he had managed to build up prior to the start of Project Level 6 Shift. With the end of said project, he lost his chance to gain the reputation of invincibility. And thanks to the fight with Touma, he had most likely lost his first and only friend.

As they were now, Touma and Accelerator lived in too completely different words. Touma was a person of the light. He had a normal school life and upheld the law as a member of Judgement on a daily basis. Accelerator was a person of the shadows. He spent his entire childhood in a laboratory and had more blood on his hands than anyone else in Academy City. As they were now, the two of them could never be friends, even with their shared history. After all, what kind of friend forgets his best friend's name and face and then tries to kill him? No friend Touma Kamijou would want anything to do with, that's for sure.

As Accelerator continued his way down the streets of Academy City, he passed by a certain high-end apartment building in District 7. From one of the apartments up on the tenth floor, the screams of a family feud could be heard, along with the incredibly painful sound of a paper fan smacking against human flesh. The screams of the unfortunate soul being attacked were so loud that Accelerator could hear them from several blocks away at ground level.

"Glad I can reflect that," the Level 5 mused to himself as he projected a simple vector barrier to block out soundwaves.

Had Accelerator waited another second before raising his barrier, he would have heard the more unfortunate of his past friend's iconic catchphrases.

Continuing down his regular path with his noise blocking barrier up, Accelerator was completely oblivious to the fact that he had another person trying to interact with him. However, it was not another challenger trying to get his attention. If anything, the figure following him was the least similar to anyone who has ever approached him in the past. The figure was short, about half of Accelerator's standing height, and was covered from head to toe in a tattered blanket. It took several minutes for the Level 5 to even realize that the figure was following him thanks to the noise blocking barrier.

'Huh? A tiny, walking blanket. And it's talking to me,' Accelerator thought to himself in mild interest, 'What does it want?'

Now aware that someone was trying to speak to him, Accelerator lowered the noise blocking barrier he had up since the noisy apartment building. With the barrier down, he was finally able to hear the figures voice, discovering it to be female.

"Oh my, so unresponsive," the tiny, walking blanket mused, "That's a rather facinating indicator of your personality type, but it doesn't seem that you are ignoring me on purpose, and you're not trying to get away from me, so I must conclude that you are the world's biggest space cadet, Misaka Misaka says, tilting her head."

"… Who is this little freak?" Accelerator grumbled under his breath.

"Misaka Misaka is desperately trying to assert her existence," the small figure said as she ran ahead of the albino boy, "and by ignoring her, you are invalidating her existence."

"Hold it. You said 'Misaka'?" Accelerator asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Oh! Misaka Misaka's existence and been acknowledged! Yay! Misaka Misaka cries, congratulating herself!"

"Short stuff, stop the chattering and take that blanket off," Accelerator demanded, "I want to get a better look at your face."

Accelerator didn't like were this undesired conversation was heading. A random stranger in a blanket runs up to him in the middle of the night and refers to herself as "Misaka"? That couldn't have been a coincidence. It warranted investigation, and the direct approach was the quickest way he was going to get answers.

"H-hold on! You can't just ask a girl to take her clothes off in the middle of the street!" the small figure cried, taking a step back, "That's downright creepy, and I have no intention of-"

Disregarding the stranger's protests, Accelerator grabbed the blanket and forced it off of her, easily pulling the cloth from its owner's grip. As he suspected, hidden underneath the makeshift hood of the blanket was the unmistakable face of Academy City's third ranked Level 5, Mikoto Misaka, albeit much younger than the genuine article currently is now. The sight of that face was all the confirmation Accelerator needed; she was a Sister.

Unfortunately, Accelerator's hasty method of investigation revealed more than just the Sister's face. As he quickly found out, the blanket was the only thing the Sister had that even resembled an article of clothing. By taking said blanket away from her, Accelerator was left with an extremely underaged girl standing in the middle of the street in the dead of night completely naked.

"… What the…?" Accelerator asked to himself, genuinely surprised by something for the first time in a while.

Her small body completely exposed, the extremely young Sister curled up on the ground with a massive blush on her face and tears in her eyes, desperately trying to cover herself up in any ways she could without her blanket.

'What the hell is this?' Accelerator thought to himself, 'This is the kind of stuff that normally happens to Touma, so why am in his role?'

Giving the Sister her blanket back, Accelerator continued his trek home, the small Sister continuing to follow him along the way. In that time, she explained her identity as Misaka 20001, or Last Order, the final Sister commissioned for Project Level 6 Shift. Apparently, she was released from her incubation tank early due to the experiment's sudden halt, leaving her smaller than the other Sisters. The reason she had approached Accelerator was to help her get in contact with one of the researchers to help her with her little predicament since he was the focus of the experiment and thus had connections to all of them.

Despite Last Order's pleas, Accelerator flat-out refused to do anything of the sort. As far as he was concerned, he wanted nothing to do with Project Level 6 Shift ever again. He lost pretty much everything to that experiment and its failure. Why should he care about the remnants of it? All he really wanted now was to be left alone.

Unfortunately, despite the repeated refusal to help, the underdeveloped clone refused to leave his side. Last Order followed Accelerator all the way back to his apartment building, continuing to ask for his help the entire way.

"Thanks in advance for your help, says Misaka Misaka, assuming you'll give in," the tiny clone said as she followed the Level 5 up the apartment building stairs, "What a big building! Which apartment is yours? Misaka Misaka asks, curiously."

"Number 304," Accelerator replied with complete disinterest.

Like the excitable child that she was, Last Order quickly rushed ahead to the apartment room door provided by Accelerator. Once she found the door, she opened it right away and greeted the apartment with a smile, only to discover that it was someone else's apartment entirely. Upon this unfortunate discovery, Last Order called Accelerator out on this deception and demanded he give a truthful answer. Sadly, it seemed that Last Order was not a very fast learner, as Accelerator pulled the exact same trick but with a later room number and she fell for it again.

"How can you be so mean to a poor, helpless, little girl, Misaka Misaka asks, sticking out her lower lip and hunching over dejectedly," the little girl whined as she continued to follow Accelerator down the floor's balcony.

Accelerator ignored the question, preferring to continue making his way home. A moment later, the pair reached the end of the hall and were greeted with the final apartment, the only one that could belong to Accelerator based on process of elimination. However, it was not a pleasant sight to behold.

"What the hell happened to my apartment?" Accelerator asked himself quietly.

"Oh my. It looks like a hurricane blow through here," Last Order gasped, "Misaka Misaka is practically speechless.

The front door of the apartment was pried open and bent out of shape, leaving the entire apartment exposed. The curtains, bedsheets, and furniture were torn to shreds, leaving them nearly unusable. The closet was busted open and Accelerator's personal items were thrown about, with some of the frailer items shattered on the floor. Everywhere, on all the walls, ceiling, and floors, spray painted graffiti was seen, with varying types of insults and profanity hidden amongst it.

"Seriously lame," Accelerator sighed as he laid down on the couch, setting aside his bag of canned black coffee on the mutilated coffee table.

"Um, don't you think you should call Anti-Skill or Judgement and report what happened to this place? Misaka Misaka asks, casually sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong."

"What are you going to do now?" Accelerator asked, ignoring Last Order's own question, "Given the circumstances, you might be safer sleeping outside than in here."

"Well," Last Order replied, fumbling with her words, "That might be true, but even so, I would prefer to stay here, Misaka Misaka says earnestly."

"What?" the Level 5 inquired in confusion, "Why do you want to?"

"Misaka Misaka does not want to be alone," the clone admitted, her eyes dropping slightly, "So, she would like to stay here."

"… Suit yourself," Accelerator replied, rolling over on his couch and turning away.

Having receive permission to stay for the night, Last Order quickly climbed into the now tattered bed, pulling the torn-up blanket and tucking herself in.

"I'm warning you right now," the mini Misaka warned, "Sneaking into bed with Misaka Misaka is absolutely unacceptable, so don't even thing about-"

"Shut up!" Accelerator yelled from the couch, cutting the small girl off.

Having been harshly instructed to be quiet, Last Order silently pulled the blanket over her head, going to sleep.

As Accelerator laid on the couch, he could help but question his most recent choice involving the Sister known as Last Order. He didn't want anything to do with her. He was trying to get her to leave him alone since she first introduced herself, so why did he suddenly let her stay? With his power, he could have easily force her to leave him alone, maybe catapult her into one of Academy City's rivers. Why didn't he? He was the guy that killed 10031 clones just like her. He wasn't someone capable of helping someone like her. He wasn't Touma Kamijou.

* * *

When Accelerator woke up the next day, he was greeted by the sight of Last Order looking over him. Apparently, she had been there for a while, watching his facial expressions as he slept.

"You're still here. That's just excellent," Accelerator sighed with discontent as he sat up.

"It's a beautify morning!" Last Order cheered, "Actually, I guess a beautiful afternoon at this point. Anyway, I'm hungry! Do you think you could make me something yummy to eat? If you did, Misaka Misaka would be very grateful to you."

Ignoring Last Order's request, Accelerator got up off the couch and walked right past her, heading for the door.

"Um, I'm pretty sure the kitchen is in the other direction," Last Order pointed out, following Accelerator to the door.

"Do I look like someone who does a lot cooking to you?" Accelerator asked rhetorically.

"I was hoping you had an apron wearing, whisk wielding, domestic side to you," the small clone admitted, "but I suppose that was overly optimistic, Misaka Misaka grumbles."

'Well, tough luck, kid,' Accelerator thought to himself as he stepped out the door, 'I'm the wrong guy to go to for that. I'm not Touma Kamijou.'

* * *

A few minutes later, Accelerator and Last Order arrived at the family restaurant knowns as Julian Café. As someone who didn't really cook and had access to the massive funds provided to Level 5 Espers by Academy City, Accelerator often frequented the place for his meals. It wasn't the most lavish of places he could eat at, but the service was decent, and the food was passable. He wasn't a food snob or anything, so someplace cheap with the bare minimum in quality was just fine with him.

"Misaka Misaka is wondering something," Last Order asked as she looked at the menu, "Is that your natural hair color, or do you dye it?"

"I couldn't tell you exactly how it works myself," Accelerator replied with minimum interest, "It has to do with skin pigmentation, the stuff that protects you from ultraviolet rays. My Esper Power reflects all those unwanted rays away from me automatically, so I don't need pigmentation like other people do."

'Why did I bother humoring her question?' the Level 5 thought to himself after giving his answer.

"Interesting. So, it has nothing to do with you wanting to look cool and intimidating? Misaka Misaka says surprised."

"… I'm getting a headache," Accelerator sighed as Last Order continued to browse the menu.

While Last Order busied herself with deciding on what to eat, Accelerator noticed something, or rather someone, suspicious outside through the window behind the tiny Sister. Stepping into a yellow sports car was a man in a labcoat with long, waving black hair, almost like seaweed. When the man turned around, Accelerator was able to see his face, and it was a face he could have sworn he's seen before.

"Is that Ao Amai?" Accelerator growled to himself.

In that moment, the man Accelerator suspected to be Ao Amai hesitated for a minute, as if spotting something of interest himself. He then quickly loaded himself into his car, trying desperately to get it to start.

"That bastard!" Accelerator yelled as he got up from his seat, "What the hell could he be doing here?"

"What are you looking at? Misaka Misaka inquires curiously."

"Stay focused on the task at hand!" Accelerator demanded, slapping his hand on the table, "Do you remember why where here?"

"Yeah, where here to get something good to eat! Misaka Misaka promptly answers the question," the Sister replied, holding her menu over her head like the roof of a house.

Suddenly, the sound of a roaring engine could be heard from outside. Turning his attention back to the window, Accelerator saw the yellow sports car blaze out of the parking lot and down the street. All Accelerator could do was grit his teeth having lost his suspect.

After that little incident, Last Order got underway ordering her meal. In the end, she ordered a Hamburg Steak with vegetables and rice. All Accelerator ordered was a glass of water. When the food arrived, the young Sister couldn't help but eye the food with childlike glee.

"This will be the first hot meal I've ever had in my whole life! Misaka Misaka says with much glee!"

'That's not saying much considering you can't be older than a few weeks,' Accelerator thought to himself.

"Is this over yet?" Accelerator asked no one in particular.

However, despite food clearly being present in front of her, Last Order had yet to take a single bit. This was particularly strange considering her excitement a moment ago. All she did was stare at Accelerator with expecting eyes.

"What's the matter? Why aren't you eating?" Accelerator asked with some annoyance.

"It's proper etiquette to give thanks for the food before eating," the Sister explained, "Misaka Misaka would like to do so to show her manners."

"… Do whatever you want," the Level 5 sighed, not having any real interest in the matter.

Having received some rather unneeded permission, Last Order immediately clapped her hands together with gusto.

"Thanks for all the food!" she cheered.

Having said her thanks, she immediately dug into her meal, starting with the rice and the Hamburg Steak. As soon as she took the first bite, her eyes immediately lit up more than they usually did, as if it was even possible.

"This is the best food I've ever tasted! Misaka Misaka says excitedly."

"Huh?" Accelerator asked in confusion, "The stuff they serve here is all freeze dried junk. They're not exactly known around here for their fine cuisine."

"That doesn't matter, what's good is good," the Sister explained between bites of food, "And sitting down at the table with someone only makes it that much better, Misaka Misaka explains philosophically."

"Yeah, sure," Accelerator replied in disinterest, "I don't understand what you're doing here. You do understand what happened to the rest of your little family when they met me, don't you?"

"My brainwaves are connected to all other Misakas, so of course I know what happened, Misaka Misaka states matter-of-factly," Last Order replied, taking a break from her meal.

"Then how can you sit there across from me so calmly?"

"The worth of Misakas was explained to me, Misaka Misaka says."

"Huh?" Accelerator asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Even if an individual Misaka unit dies, the Misaka Network will remain intact so no important information will be lost. Even so, each Misaka unit has a worth of her own, beyond the network," Last Order explained, her childlike expression replaced with an uncanny static one that didn't fit her previously establish personality.

Accelerator flashed back to his confrontation with Touma that night, the night the Level 0 stepped up and stopped the experiments. More specifically, he thought back to the speech Touma made just before the fight got under way.

'After all, you're still the only one of you in the whole world, right?'

"That Misaka was told there are actually people out there that shed tears when one of the Misakas dies, so we don't sacrifice ourselves anymore," Last Order further explained, "Since we each have individual worth, we can't keep throwing our lives away. That's what Misaka Misaka believes. And it's all because of you. Without you, the experiment wouldn't have happened, and souls wouldn't have been put inside the Misaka bodies, so Misaka Misaka is grateful to you."

"Grateful? You know that's absurd, right?" Accelerator said with a wicked grin, "Don't you realize that I enjoyed killing you? Doing gave me a thrill every single time."

"That isn't true," Last Order denied calmly, wiping the grin off the Level 5's face, "Misaka Misaka has come to a different conclusion. You did not actually desire to go through with the experiment, or so Misaka Misaka senses the situation."

"Oh, come on!" Accelerator yelled, pounding his fist on the table, "You must be seriously twisting the facts to come up with that idea! I was perfectly happy to continue killing you people for as long as the experiment was active. I don't know why you would think differently."

"Think back to all of those battles," the youngest Sister instructed, "You spoke to Misaka many times during them. So, why would you do that? Misaka Misaka says, asking the obvious question. In Misaka Misaka's estimation, you picked rather strange times to engage in conversation. Generally speaking, the main reason you draw someone into conversation with you is to establish some sort of connection with them. If you were really only concerned with the success of the experiment, then there would be no reason for you to converse, Misaka Misaka states reasonably."

"I was trash talking," Accelerator argued, "I don't see how you took that as me trying to establish a connection with you."

"Yes, that's the second thing that is odd about your behavior, Misaka Misaka agrees, holding up two figures to illustrate. You were consistently arrogant and rude. Everything you said was abusive to Misaka. That suggests that your motivation went beyond simply making a connection. However, the fact that your words were cruel does not mean that they were meant to be malicious."

For the first time during the conversation, Accelerator actually took a double take, as if actually considering the Sister's argument.

"In this analysis, we must also consider the timing," Last Order continued, "Misaka Misaka can recall that you always engaged in conversation before the battles began. It was almost as if you were trying to intimidate Misaka into backing down, like you wanted Misaka to say that she did not want to fight you, Misaka Misaka observes."

Accelerator's arm flex ever so slightly, unsure of how he should act.

"Of course, it didn't work. The Misakas could not understand what you were attempting to do. But what would you have done if Misaka said that she did not wish to continue? Misaka Misaka believes things would have turned out very differently."

Accelerator could not stand what Last Order was telling him. Who was she to tell him what he his intentions were? She had no right to try and psychoanalyze him. If anyone knew what his innermost desires were, it was him.

Accelerator was about to get up and leave, but Last Order had one last point she wanted to make.

"In addition, there is a third point Misaka Misaka would like to make, Misaka Misaka adds, raising three figures to illustrate. During your confrontation with the boy who put an end to the experiment, the boy referred to you by the name, 'Yuri'. Towards the end of the confrontation, the boy made mention of how you knew each other in the past, specifically mentioning how you was his face every day. In addition, you referred to the boy by name yourself just before your defeat. These accounts and behaviors, both from before and now, suggest that you are capable of compassion and not as heartless as you make yourself out to be."

"… I'm getting tired of listening to this crap," Accelerator said as he got out of his seat.

He did not like what this girl was doing. Making claims about his personality and intentions was not something for a Sister to do. And to top it all off, she brought Touma into the conversation. That last thing he wanted right now was to be reminded of the friendship he had surely ruined.

Turning his back to the Sister, he intended to leave Last Order behind in the restaurant to fend for herself. He had no reason to help her any further, so why should he stick around? However, before Accelerator could make even a meter of distance between them, he heard a loud thud on the table he had left behind, as well as the clattering of plates. Turning around, he saw that Last Order had collapsed face first on the table. Her face was flush, and her breathing was weak, but she still seemed to be conscious.

"Hey," Accelerator called out, mildly concerned for the clone.

"Misaka Misaka's body isn't complete yet," the Sister replied weakly, "Her physical body is still less than perfect. Normally, she wouldn't even be out of the incubater at this point. Misaka Misaka clarifies the reason for her collapse."

Accelerator returned to the table to get a closer look and hear her more clearly.

"Up until now, Misaka Misaka had been able to manage, so she assumed she was alright," the clone continued, "Perhaps she was mistaken, Misaka… Misaka…"

"… Hey," Accelerator called out again, noticing her breathing getting heavy.

"… What is it? Why are you still standing?" the young Sister asked, barely managing to lift her head off the table, "… You're not leaving yet already… are you? Misaka Misaka asks pleadingly… There's still plenty of food left…"

"… Yeah, well after all this talking, I've pretty much lost my appetite," the Level 5 replied flatly.

"Oh… okay… Misaka Misaka is disappointed though… and hoped you would finish the meal together… she didn't even get to order desert."

"Yeah, well, life's tough, kid," Accelerator replied coldly as he took the receipt and left, "You should get used to it."

* * *

Having left the restaurant and Last Order behind, Accelerator wandered through the streets of Academy City rather aimlessly. He had no real destination, nor did he have an idea of what exactly he was doing. When he left the restaurant, all he wanted to do was put some distance between him and the annoying little Sister. He didn't want anything to do with her and had no desire to help her. Despite this, his wandering somehow too him straight to one of the labs previously involved in Project Level 6 Shift.

"Of all places, this is where my feet carried me?" Accelerator asked himself.

Approaching the building, Accelerator quickly discovered the facility to be mostly abandoned, though the locks were all still active. Using his unparalleled strength in Vector Manipulation, the Level 5 forced the front door open. Making his way through the facility, he eventually found himself in a certain office, the door of which is also broke down with his ability. The room was littered with papers and files, like a miniature tornado when out of its way to enter the building and knock over what was a perfectly stacked pile of papers.

To Accelerator's surprise, sitting on the desk at the very back of the laboratory was a woman in a lab coat with short, dark hair. He wasn't expecting to see anyone in the building after the experiment ended, but he wasn't necessarily displeased. Of all the researchers he had ever met in the many experiments he has been involved in, she was the one he disliked the least. After all, she was the closest thing to a mother he had in Academy City. Her name was Kikyou Yoshikawa, on of the direct heads of Project Level 6 Shift.

"Hey," Accelerator greeted upon entry.

"Hey, Accelerator. Welcome back," Yoshiwaka greeted in return, "You didn't have to break the door down, you know. You're ID is still good for another ninety days."

"It's a little late to be telling me that," Accelerator deadpanned.

"True enough," the researcher agreed.

"I bet your having the time of your life stuck in here, going through data all day," the Level 5 mused.

"Actually, it's not as fun as it looks," Yoshikawa admitted, "I certainly wouldn't mind the help if you're here to volunteer it."

"Ha! I'll pass," Accelerator laughed, "So anyway, I just came to get the manual for adjusting the Sister Units."

Yoshikawa simply gave the Level 5 a blank stare as he started digging through her files.

"I also need to borrow some of your conditioning equipment," Accelerator added, "Don't ask why, Yoshikawa. Think of it as an outstanding contract fee for ending the experiment ahead of schedule."

"… Somethings going on. I didn't even notice it until a couple of hours ago," Yoshikawa admitted, "I was about to begin purging the bugs from their personality data before you barged into the lab. How did you know about it?"

"Huh?" Accelerator asked, stopping his search.

"About the disturbance," Yoshikawa clarified, "Strictly speaking, it should actually be called a virus."

"Hold on. A virus? What are you talking about?" Accelerator demanded.

"Oh, I just assumed that's why you came here looking for the manual. Did I ever explain to you the special unit we developed called Last Order?"

"No, you never did. So, that one's special?" the Level 5 mused.

"Heh. That one is," Yoshikawa explained, "Last Order wasn't created to be used as part of the experiment."

"Are you saying I wasn't supposed to kill all of them during the experiment?"

"That's right. Think back to the number of battles projected to take place before the experiment would come to a conclusion."

"Exactly twenty thousand," Accelerator replied easily.

As soon as the answer left his mouth, the pieces all fell into place. Last Order specifically mentioned that her serial number was 20001, one more than the twenty thousand battles and kills he was supposed to have.

"Yes. She is a unit that the experiment parameters didn't call for," Yoshikawa further explained, "She's the control tower for the Misaka Network. As such, she was kept in a incomplete developmental state. Her existence was kept secret even act the experiment had ended, but someone found out about her and managed to override the code in her brain with an illegal program. Her escape from the laboratory was an attempt prevent that somebody from succeeding. It has been seven days since she got out.

"The virus that I isolated is set to trigger at midnight tonight. If it does activate, it will run rampant, spreading throughout the entire Misaka Network and infect all the Sisters. Once that happens, there will be no stopping it."

"What exactly does this virus contain that's so dangerous?" Accelerator inquired.

"As far as I can tell, an order to launch an indiscriminate attack on humanity," Yoshikawa said grimly.

"Huh? That is intriguing," Accelerator mused, "So, who's behind it? Terrorist group? Rogue defense contractor?"

"Ao Amai," Yoshikawa revealed, much to Accelerator's shock, "One of the former Radio Noise researchers. Nobody else is in a better position to understand the Sisters' personality data than he is."

"I saw him earlier outside of a restaurant. Huh?" Accelerator mused, leaning on the desk.

"You can be serious!" Yoshikawa cried in disbelief.

"If what you suspect is true, how do we go about stopping the virus implanted in her head?" Accelerator inquired.

"I'm doing everything I can to figure that out, but if I can't find a solution before time runs out, there's only one choice," the researcher answered grimly.

"You mean is going to have to be…"

"Uh-huh. Her termination will be the only option. Of course, I'm working hard to make sure that doesn't happen. In this case, there's something you can do too."

"Ha. I case you've already forgotten, I'm the one who killed over ten thousand of those Sisters, and now you're asking me to save one of them?" Accelerator laughed.

"You were not in charge of the situation," Yoshikawa reasoned, "We were the ones that directed you to do what you did to them. There was no other way that we could advance you to a Level 6. If we found a method that didn't involve the Sisters, you wouldn't have had to kill anybody. Unfortunately, we had no choice."

'So a little bad luck left you with no choice but to turn me into a killer,' Accelerator thought to himself bitterly, 'Something like that never stopped Touma from finding a solution, and that guy's nothing but rotten luck.'

"That's a nice speech, but I don't think it would be enough to get me to trust you," Accelerator replied with a smirk.

"If you don't want to help with this, I'm not going to force you," Yoshikawa clarified, "Right now, there are two things you can do. One is solving the problem entirely by tracking down Ao Amai and getting him to give up information on the virus. The other is securing Last Order and the virus and returning her to the incubator and contain the threat.

Digging through her desk, Yoshikawa pulled out two sets of tools, each one tailored for one of the options she presented Accelerator. In her right hand was a stack of papers with a picture of Ao Amai attached to the front. In her left hand was a small handheld computer and a flashdrive.

"You appear to be familiar with both Amai and Last Order, so I'll that up to you," Yoshikawa explained, presenting the two tool sets, "Here's the necessary data on both of them. Chose which ever you like. I think I can guess which one you'll take. You've always been bigger on destroying than protecting."

"I can't really argue with that," Accelerator admitted with a smirk, "This isn't really a tough decision to make. It's obvious which I should chose."

It really was a simple decision. One of the easiest he's ever made in his life. Even so, his decision surprised him. When he reached out to take this tool set of choice, he took Last Order's personality data. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to be able to protect her. Maybe it was a desperate attempt at redemption, or maybe he was trying to emulate the friend he lost. Either way, protecting the last Sister was his goal now. He was the strongest guy in Academy City. It should be a cinch for him.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **At the top of a certain mountain range, the Animan Temple rested, housing its two occupants. The master of the temple, Animan von Elysium, and his trusty assistant, Aisa Himegami, sat in the middle of the temples common room, peacefully eating a meal of Hamburg Steaks and rice.**

 **"Meals really are best when eaten with others, aren't they?" Animan mused as he took another bite of his Hamburg Steak.**

 **"It's nice to be able to sit down with a friend and eat a meal without any** **interruptions," Himegami agreed.**

 **"Too bad protagonists can never truly experience it," Animan pondered, "Always getting interrupted with a call to adventure they may or may not want, with story progressing demanding that they eventually accept it. Always such a hassle."**

 **"Master, don't you have a call to adventure your supposed to be answering right now?" Priestess Number 1 pointed out.**

 **"Do I?" Animan asked obliviously, his fork hanging out of his mouth.**

 **"... Your Specail End Card Segment."**

 **"Oh! That," Animan said in realization, "Eh? The readers will know about the next chapter, "The One Way", eventually. I can always do it later."**

 **"Fair enough," Himegami replied as she continued her meal.**


	56. The One Way

**Here we are again, internet. The second part of Accelerator's story in the Three Stories Arc. I noticed a lot of you complained that my version was extremely similar to that of the original, and to that I say, "That was the point." Nothing about the general stories beats changes as a result of the changes I already made. All the changes that were made focus entirely on the emotional aspect, specifically how Accelerator sees himself and how other people see him. This story operates very much on a Butterfly Effect, in which small changes in the early parts will create drastic differences later on. The thing is, those really drastic differences don't start rolling out until the events in Index II, since in canon that's also when things spiraled out into larger scale conflicts and events set up in Index I started having payoffs. I will say that this next chapter will have a bit more expansion of previously established events, just that most of those differences wouldn't be in current events. You'll understand when you read the chapter.**

 **For now, let's reply to each of your reviews individually so I can answer any questions and concerns. For that matter, let me make a quick recommendation. If you have a question that pertains to events involving the next chapter, I suggest you ask them via PM. I wait until the next chapter to answer questions asked in a given chapter, so asking questions about the next chapter through the reviews is redundant since the answer will be in the chapter anyway. It'd be a big help if you could all adopt this practice.**

 _mohamadstar94: "The Last" as in "The Last Misaka Sister". It was the chapter she was introduced in. Why would I do that? What reason would Mikoto possibly have to ignore Touma?_

 _Exiled Soul Nomad: Yeah, Accelerator having his unrestricted power would change encounters, but in a bad way. It would remove the tension in many of his fights since he doesn't have an easily defined limit. In his encounter with Ao Amai, he only took the bullet since his focus was on Last Order, and thus couldn't spare any power towards reflection. The choker give Accelerator a time limit on his ability, which creates tension and gives opponents a potential win condition, something that would normally be impossible if Accelerator was at full power considering everything involves a vector. Touma and Yuri will definitely sit down an have a talk at some point, just not quite yet._

 _fuji92: Yeah, Yuri's arc is definitely all about his redemption, but in his own eyes and the eyes of others, specifically Touma. Glad you liked the chapter so much._

 _The Richmaster: Accelerator's internal thoughts were a pivotal part of the chapter. Without them, there would have been no reason to rewrite the chapter to the extent that I did. I'll leave that question a surprise for the chapter, but I recommend you think about whether or not any tension would arise if a near limitless Accelerator were to get in a fight._

 _Herox100: That line is supposed to suggest that Last Order was trying to get Accelerator's attention for a while, to the point that her monologue was going completely off rails. That, and its a reference to the idea that no one can hear you scream in space._

 _Anti-Mage 29: Actually, Accelerator's story starts much earlier here than in canon, approximately just a bit after sundown, considering he was still able to block out the Kamijou family feud, which happened just after Touma got home after nightfall. Touma and Yuri are childhood best friends in this story. They knew practically everything about each other. It's just what best friends do. I think you'll find the things going through Accelerator's head this chapter quite interesting._

 _ahsoei: Touma's dealing with some other things right now, events that will be covered in the next chapter, but he's definitively still going to have some scenes, just not the ones you'd expect._

 _Anime-ted Life116: The last chapter was all about exploring Accelerator's inner thoughts. Notice how I use the names Accelerator and Yuri interchangeably? That is a very deliberate choice. It should become apparent as to what the reason for that is in this chapter. Touma and Last Order are definitely going to meet earlier than in canon. I think you'll like how exactly that happens. The parents meetings is definitely going to be a fun time, and with what I've got planned is only going to get much crazier._

 _fencer29: Regarding the memories, true Touma forgot more, but Yuri's was the result of him not holding on to those memories tight enough while Touma had an accident. It's more like Accelerator knows Touma that well, and understand just how Touma's misadventures usually play out._

 _lovecrazyhedgehog: Last Order is the ultimate healing loli._

 _GhostlyStranger: Oh, I'm all about repairing friendships. They'll become friends again, but its definitely going to be a bumpy ride._

 _janjakennen: I wouldn't worry too much about that. This story follows all the same story beats as canon. What's important is the emotions of the characters and their relationships that change and evolve. I will probably not cover Liberal Arts City as its events would not be heavily impacted in any meaningful way, espcially since there's no way for Touma and Index to come along._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Glad the changes to the previous chapter had some improvement. Like I said, the last chapter wasn't going to see a lot of shifts given the structure of the story. Mostly internal changes for characters. Yeah, I'm not a swearer myself, so inserting a random swear every other sentence just doesn't come naturally to me. I've tried to improve upon it in this chapter. Plus, I'm working with a 2008 dub here. Not exactly the most progressive time period in ADR._

 _Isokage (Guest): That was the biggest part of the last chapter, exploring Accelerator's psyche. It was the main focus of my version of the event. I think Komoe is just an extreme version of Shiina and Misuzu, she just looks naturally young to the greatest extreme and needs very little maintenance to keep her youthful appearance._

 _SoulReaver267: I will be covering the events of A Certain Scientific Accelerator now that the the simuldub is now being released. It's a great story that would be a shame to pass up on._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: ...Yeah, you are a very different kind of character from the rest of the cast. I can assure you I am perfectly fine as a writer. Everything is already planned out. It's just a matter of the fact that the major divergences don't come out until the events of Index II role around._

 _Generation Zero: A major part of Accelerator's story he is definitely his image, especially regarding how Touma in specific sees him. His story will mostly be an internal conflict, while the external conflicts in encounters will mostly remain the same. I think you'll like what I have planned after the end of this chapter._

 **And that's all the reviews. You all know the drill at this point.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 56: The One Way

 _ **10 Years Ago**_

Touma had been going through a hard time in his life, harder than everything else to happen to him combined. After returning home to Asunaro Park after a surprisingly uneventful day, he had learned of his sister's unannounced and unexplained disappearance. His frantic, barefoot run across the city in a desperate attempt to find her left him with bruised and bloodied feet and landed him in the hospital. Even if he healed amazingly well and quickly physically, his heart still hurt as his sister left an empty void behind.

When Yuri caught word of this development, he did whatever he could to help his best friend through such a tough time. When Touma was released from the hospital, Yuri was there to give him all the support he needed. It was the least he could do for everything the Level 0 did for him. It was what best friends do.

After leaving the hospital, Yuri wanted to show Touma a good time so the Level 0 could move past the loss of his sister. They would play at the park, grab a bite to eat, and maybe even see that new superhero movie that was coming out. It was a five-year-old boy's ultimate fantasy, to be able to live and have fun at their leisure with no adult supervision. And with Yuri's funds as the city's first Level 5, it would be a cinch to make a reality. If that couldn't lighten Touma's mood, nothing would. Besides, he's always been able to bounce back from misfortune. Surely, he could do the same here.

Sadly, it would seem that fate had other plans for the pair of elementary school boys. As soon as the Yuri and Touma arrived, a random boy their age stepped in their path and demanded a fight with Yuri. Yuri's reputation as the first Esper to ever reach Level 5 was quick to follow him and easily became common knowledge. Soon enough, everyone in Academy City knew of the existence of the strongest Esper and the name of his Ability, Accelerator.

"You're Accelerator, right?" the boy demanded.

"I have a name, you know," Yuri replied.

"Whatever. You are the strongest Esper, aren't you?" the boy asked, ignoring Yuri's reply.

"Yuri, let's just leave," Touma begged, "I don't like were this is going."

"Who's asking?" Yuri asked the boy across from him, determined to get to the park and show Touma a good time.

"The guy that's going to kick your butt!" the boy cried as he charged with a chambered fist.

As soon as he was in range, the boy threw his fist and aimed for Yuri's head. Unfortunately, the fist never reached its target and the boy was sent flying backwards by the Automatic Reflection application of Yuri's Ability. The boy was left curled up on the ground, tenderly gripping his arm in pain. As for the strongest Esper, he simply stood there and let the attack come and go. It wasn't the first time something like this happened and it always ended the same way.

"Look kid, I'm just here to have a good time with my buddy," Yuri sighed, looking down on the poor boy, "I don't want to hurt anyone, but with my power its inevitable. Normally, Touma here would make sure things don't get to that point, but he's having a really hard time right now, so I don't want to bother him over this. So how about you just run along and pretend none of this ever happened, okay?"

"Yuri, I really think we should leave?" Touma cut in, placing his right hand on Yuri's shoulder, "We're drawing a lot of attention."

Looking up from the fallen challenger, Yuri saw just what his friend meant when he said they had drawn in a lot of attention. All around the park, multiple civilians were giving them shocked and concerned stares, many of which were directed at the poor boy who was stupid enough to think he could win against the strongest Esper and take his title. It was clear that pretty much everyone had seen the confrontation, with some people even pulling out their phones to most likely report the accident. Seeing that they were most likely not welcome at that particular park at the moment, Yuri followed Touma's lead and quickly vacated the area.

When the way to the mall to grab a bit to eat, the boys were surrounded by a group of four men in suits. From what they could tell, the men were with Academy City's defense forces, mostly likely deployed in response to a report of an out of control Esper. In this case, the Esper they were acting in response to was Yuri, turned in by the concerned park goers that saw him earlier. With no warning, the four men charged at the albino boy to apprehend him, only to be reflected back before they could lay a hand on him or Touma.

Ignoring the escalating confrontations, Yuri continued to lead Touma towards the mall to show his friend a good time. Despite Touma's growing concerns, Yuri was determined to make the day a good one for his grieving best friend. When they finally arrived, they were confronted with yet another group of four men in suits, this time armed with handguns.

"Sir, are you sure this is okay? There's a civilian with him," one of the men asked in concern.

"Aim straight at the albino one," the leader ordered, "The civilian will be safe once the rogue Esper is apprehended."

To both boys' surprise, the men fired on them, determined to apprehend Yuri by any means necessary. Fearing for his friend's safety, the albino elementary school boy wrapped his friend in his arms and shielded him with his body, careful to avoid Touma's right hand. A second later, all the bullets were reflected away from both of them, blowing up the guns that fired them in the first place.

"Y-yuri?" Touma stuttered, scared for his life.

"No time! We have to run!" Yuri yelled as he grabbed his friend's right hand and took off running, leaving the mall behind.

Yuri could barely believe what was happening. How could it all turn out so bad? All he wanted was to have a good time with his best friend, to cheer him up after the loss of his older sister. Now here they were, running for their lives from a couple of men who would use lethal force just to catch him, regardless as to whether or not someone else could have gotten hit in the crossfire. They thought he was a bigger danger to others than they were, and they were the ones using handguns on an elementary school kid.

"Touma, you have to leave me!" Yuri cried as they ran down the street, "Those men will do whatever it takes to capture me! I can't let you get caught in the crossfire by staying near me!"

"What? No!" Touma yelled, stopping in his tracks and pulling Yuri to stop with him, "Do you know what those guys do to out of control Espers they capture? If those men get you, they'll take you away to make sure you never misuse your powers again! That kid getting hurt wasn't even your fault! It was just an accident! Please Yuri, I can't lose you too! Don't leave me all alone!"

"… I'm sorry," Yuri said quietly as he let go of Touma's hand, "I can't let you get hurt because of me."

To Touma's surprise, Yuri gave his friend a light tap on the shoulder. With Yuri's Ability, that single tap was all he needed to send Touma flying, sending him down the street and a good city block away from the strongest Esper. The landing was not as gentle as it could have been with the level of control Yuri had then, but it was smooth enough to not give Touma any noticeable injuries. With Yuri and Touma now separated by several meters, Yuri took off running in the opposite direction, determined to keep Touma as far away from the inevitable fight.

Soon enough, Yuri was faced with one of the most imposing forces he's ever seen. In a desperate move to match his own unparalleled power, Academy City brought in its entire military, complete with tanks and attack helicopters, to take him down. Standing in the middle of one of the city's many interactions, Yuri could see nothing but military vehicles for dozens of meters.

And then, it happened. Determined to take him in, all the military vehicles fired on his location, showering Yuri with bullet and tank shells. Through it all, Yuri remained unharmed, his Automatic Reflection protecting him perfectly. When the bullets stopped flying and the shells stopped falling, Yuri was left standing alone in a crater, completely unharmed.

Looking around him Yuri could only stare in horror at the amount of destruction around him. His power to manipulate vectors and reflect all forms of harm away from him was the ultimate defense. It protected him from all manner of attacks without fail. However, looking at the destroyed landscape around him, all he could think was how ironic it was that a shield could result is some much destruction. Just the sight was enough to make him give up. It was enough to make him give up on living a normal life. The fact of the matter was he was not normal.

"Please! Stop!" A familiar voice cried out from behind the crowd of military vehicles.

To Yuri's surprise, Touma had somehow managed to slip past the mess of military vehicles in front of him and force his way to the front. Dropping into the crater created by the fighting, Touma stumbled towards the center before standing in front of Yuri with his back turned and his arms spread out in front of him. He stood there definitely, doing what little he could to stand between the army of men and his best friend.

"Please, it wasn't Yuri's fault!" the boy begged, "It was only an accident!"

"Touma," Yuri interrupted, "Don't. It's alright."

"It's not alright!" Touma yelled defiantly, "These people are treating you like a criminal for something you had no control over! They're treating you like a monster that should be caged! Like you're the villain of your own story! I won't accept that! I can't accept that! You're not some criminal, monster, or villain! You're my best friend, and if you think I'll stand by and let these guys drag you away and lock you up, I'll shatter that stupid illusion!"

Despite Touma pleas, Yuri wasn't listening to any of them. He wanted to believe what Touma was saying was true. But in the face of everything that had happened, he couldn't accept it as such. Only a criminal would indiscriminately hurt others. Only a monster would cause so much destruction. Only a villain would have the authorities after him. Until he could get better control of his power, until people stopped trying to pick fight with him over a pointless title, until he could stop hurting others, he was everything these people claimed him to be.

With an unsteady hand, gingerly took a hold of Touma's right hand and lowered it to his side. Surprised by his friend's actions, Touma turned to face Yuri, only to see tears starting to fall from the albino boy's eyes. The sight freeze Touma in his tracks. He never could stand the sight of tears.

"Please," Yuri whispered pleadingly, "Just let it go. Just let me go."

Seeing his friend in such a state of desperation and depravity, Touma knew he had no choice but to comply. He didn't like it, but there was nothing more he could do in this situation. A single elementary school boy with no special abilities outside of a right hand that negates the supernatural versus the entire armed forces of Academy City was a clear-cut battle. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out.

Although it left a sour taste in his mouth, Touma let go of Yuri's hand and remained silent as one of the attack helicopters landed to take the Level 5 into custody.

* * *

 _ **Pr**_ _ **esent D**_ _ **ay**_

'Why am I thinking about this crap now of all times,' Accelerator growled in his head as he ran.

Having chosen to protect Last Order, Accelerator had taken possession of a small handheld computer and a flash drive containing the youngest Sister's personality data from a week ago. As the sun began to set, the Level 5 ran for dear life with the electronic firmly in his grip. He had to hurry back to the restaurant he left her at if he wanted to get her back to the lab in time.

However, despite having a clear goal to focus on, Accelerator was distracted. As he ran, his mind had somehow wander to that day over a decade ago, the day his life started down the path towards the hell it was now. It was the day that his path diverged from Touma's, costing him his peaceful life and his best friend. It was by far the worst day of his life, so why was he remembering it now, and so vividly? Nothing good came of that day.

'Doesn't matter,' Accelerator told himself as he continued to run, 'All that matters now is getting to that kid, quickly.'

By the time night fell over Academy City, Accelerator finally managed to return to the restaurant he had left Last Order at earlier that day. Unfortunately, he arrived only to find a rather unsavory discovery.

"What!? A man in a lab coat!?" he asked a waitress for confirmation.

"Well, yes," the waitress confirmed, "He said he was related to her, an uncle or something, so we thought it would be okay to let her leave with him. So, is this person an acquaintance of yours?"

"… Unfortunately, he is," Accelerator said in a low growl.

Having run into complications, the Level 5 exited the restaurant and called Yoshikawa to tell her about the unfortunate turn of events regarding Last Order and her kidnapping by a man who could only be Ao Amai.

"The virus is designed to activate on its own right?" Accelerator asked over the phone, "If that's the case, why would that bastard decide to make a move now?"

" _That's just one question I wish I could answer_ ," Yoshikawa replied.

"It's possible that he's already left Academy City, isn't it? There are already a number of organizations that would hide his sorry ass."

" _Word is that somebody from the outside broke through the security net. Whoever it was then slipped into the city_ ," the researcher explained, " _The security code was set to orange earlier today, but has now been elevated to red. No one is allowed to enter or exit Academy City, which means that Amai must be hiding here somewhere._ "

"Hotels wouldn't be safe, so he must be hiding at a friend's place."

" _I'd be surprised if there was anyone left in this city whom he could call a friend._ "

"I see what you mean," Accelerator mused, "He's a piece of shit, just like me."

" _With the closure of the laboratory, he's incurred quite a lot of debt_ ," Yoshikawa explained, " _I'd guess his friendships only last as long as his money holds out._ "

"Hm. If he has nowhere to set up camp, then he's probably prowling around town somewhere," Accelerator deduced, "And I have an advantage. He's cornered and a lack of breathing room tends to make people's actions a lot more predictable."

Upon hearing what Accelerator was implying to be his plan, Yoshikawa tried to convince him to not go through with something so cruel and heinous. Unfortunately, Accelerator hung up the phone before she could get a proper sentence out. Not that it would have done any good anyway. The Level 5 has always been a monstrous, villainous criminal. It was not like there was any other way for him to handle the situation. It was his personal one-way road.

* * *

In a restricted back alley somewhere in Academy City, a certain yellow sports car was parked in the shadows. In the driver's seat of that sports car was Ao Amai, with a single passenger sitting next to him. That passenger was the Last Order, who looked increasingly unwell and had several electrodes attached to her head, connecting her to a laptop.

"Damn it!" Amai yelled, pounding his fists on his steering wheel, "Nothing's going my way tonight!

Looking over at his increasingly ill passenger and the laptop she was connected to, the researcher watched anxiously as the charts on display grew increasingly unstable. Last Order's brain activity was getting wilder as her condition worsened and the virus was nearing its activation time.

'Please, just stay alive until the virus activates,' Amai begged, his only real concern being the virus he planned to unleash upon the Misaka Network.

As he anxiously waited for his plans to come to their final phase, Amai heard something unusual from outside of his car. It was the sound of footsteps walking down a road, and it was getting closer. Looking in his rearview mirror, he saw the last person he wanted to deal with in that moment. The strongest Esper in Academy City, Accelerator, had discovered his location and tracked him down.

Fearing for his life, the researcher desperately tried to start his car, only to find that his vehicle's ignition was as stubborn as ever. After a few frantic attempts, he finally got the engine running and floored the accelerator. Unfortunately, in his panic, Amai made a fatal strategic error. Rather than running away from the Level 5, he threw his vehicle in reverse and spun it around before charging at the strongest Esper at full speed.

It didn't take a genius to tell anyone how that confrontation ended. With his unparalleled psychic abilities, Accelerator stopped the car in an instant, crushing it in such a way that Last Order remained unharmed and all the damage was isolated to Amai's side of the vehicle. All the poor researcher could do was laugh pathetically at his massive screw up.

"I have you, you bastard," Accelerator declared, "Now, what should I do with you."

Screaming for his life, Amai tried to weasel his way out of the driver side door to escape. Unfortunately, the door was mangled in the crash, leaving it much more difficult to open up. Amai only managed to squeeze half of his body through the miniscule gap he was able to make before Accelerator stopped on the car and slammed the door closed on him, knocking the researcher out cold.

"You should take it easy, old man," Accelerator instructed mockingly, "It's fucking embarrassing to watch."

Walking around to the passenger side of the vehicle, Accelerator kneeled down next to the sickly Last Order as he called Yoshikawa to give her an update.

"Hey, Yoshikawa, I have the kid with me," the Level 5 reported, "Wait… it looks like she's hooked up to some electrodes."

" _That's probably a physical exam kit that we use on the Sisters_ ," Yoshikawa replied.

"Can you tell me what a BC Operating Ratio is?" Accelerator requested, turning the laptop connected to the Sister to face him.

" _It measures the rate in which her brain is functioning_ ," Yoshikawa explained, " _BC stands for brain cell._ "

"These numbers aren't looking so good," the Level 5 grumbled as the number on screen rapidly grew larger, "So, do you think I can use this physical exam kit thing to get rid of the virus? It could take me a hell of a long time to get her back to the laboratory from here."

" _Impossible. We need a specialized incubator and a learning apparatus to overwrite her mind_ ," Yoshikawa explained regretfully over the sound of a roaring engine and rushing wind.

"Wait, where are you?" Accelerator asked, noticing the background noise, "Driving?"

" _Yes_ ," Yoshikawa replied, " _I'm driving towards right now as we speak. I figure I could buy us more time this way. It's quicker than you taking her back to the lab._ "

"Are you done analyzing the virus code?"

" _I'd say I'm 80% there. I'll be finished before the midnight deadline._ "

"Honestly, how much crap is this kid going to drag me through?" Accelerator grumbled, "This is getting old, fast."

As the clock continued to tick towards midnight, Last Order's breathing started to get heavier and more unstable. She then started to repeat her designation as a Misaka Sister repeatedly and progressively more quickly before spiraling into a nonsensical babbling. An alarm then started to go off on the physical exam kit, followed by the screen quickly flooding with red warning pop-ups.

"Um, Yoshikawa, what the hell is going on?" Accelerator asked in confusion.

" _Quiet! Give me a second_ ," Yoshikawa demanded, taking a second to listen to what Last Order was babbling, " _Yeah, that's it alright, but it shouldn't be happening yet._ "

"What is it? What's fucking happening?"

" _The implanted virus code. From the sound of it, it's getting ready to execute_ ," Yoshikawa answered grimly, " _I don't get it. There's still four hours until midnight! This could mean we were fed false information!_ "

"Damn it!" Accelerator growled in frustration.

As the virus continued to wreak havoc on Last Order's mind, the warnings on the physical exam kit grew more numerous, flooding the screen with nothing but red windows. Eventually, the toll was too much on the poor Sister and her babbling suddenly stopped, like a speaker that blew a circuit and stopped working.

" _Listen up, Accelerator_ ," Yoshikawa instructed, " _It's too soon to give up. But you've got to move quickly, alright?_ "

"What? You mean there's something I can do?"

" _Before the virus is distributed throughout the Misaka Network, it's being converted into a host command, which none of the Sister can contradict. That will take about ten minutes to complete. That should be more than enough time. You know there is only one thing you can do_ ," Yoshikawa instructed, " _Dispose of Last Order. Save the world by killing her. It's the only way._ "

Upon hearing these instructions, Accelerator froze up. He thought he was done having to kill the Sisters, but now his was being told to do something far crueler. Not only was he being told to kill, the alternative was letting hundreds of thousands more suffer at the hands of a Sister rampage. It was the worst kind of ultimatum there was.

"Damn it!" Accelerator growled, "I'm the strongest Esper in Academy City, but as powerful as my abilities are, they're only good for altering vector directions. Once more, I've pretty much only ever used them for beating people up. I don't know how to do any healing. Sure, I can touch someone and reverse the flow of their blood and mess with their bioelectricity, but…"

As he said this, Accelerator felt something pass through his head. A thought, an idea. Some sort of solution to his current predicament, a way to save the world without having to sacrifice anything or anyone. Something Touma would come up with when he would try to save someone. Giving it another moment of thought, a lightbulb went off in his head and the answer arrived to him.

'Bioelectricity. That's it,' Accelerator thought to himself as he pulled out the handheld computer and flash drive he received earlier, 'This data stick could be the key. It contains all of Last Order's personality data from before she was infected.'

"… Hey listen," Accelerator said into his phone, "What if I took control of the electrical signals in her brain? Wouldn't we be able to alter her personality data and get rid of the virus."

" _What are you talking about? You don't mean… Are you suggesting that take the place of the learning apparatus!? No way!_ "

"It should be simple enough for me to do though," Accelerator insisted as he loaded the data stick into the handheld computer, "I'm a master at reflecting vectors. All I'm talking about is the next step, controlling them."

" _Fine. Let's assume you're somehow able to get control of Last Order's neuropathways. That doesn't mean you'll be able to completely eradicate the virus_ ," Yoshikawa argued, " _There's more than just the Sister at stake if you fail. In this kind of attack, the casualties will be staggering. The only way to avoid major lose of life would be to kill Last Order. I know you don't like it but we've exhausted all our options._ "

'I've had enough of this crap,' Accelerator thought to himself as he tossed his phone to the side of the road.

"Who the hell does she think I am? I'm the strongest guy in Academy City. If a Level 0 like Touma can manage to save thousands of people, saving one person should be a cinch for me," Accelerator mumbled to himself as he memorized the computer code on the handheld computer, "I can collect the pre-infection data, then all I should need to do is delete the excess code, right?"

After a few moments, Accelerator finished reading through all the computer code that translated into Last Order's personality data. With the data memorized, he shaped the device in half with his ability, having no more use for it.

"Alright, simple enough," Accelerator said to himself as he placed a hand on Last Order's head, "Let get started."

As soon as he placed his hand on her head, Accelerator was able to get a read on all the vectors flowing through her body. For his purposes, the only things he would need to focus on was the bioelectricity flowing between her neurons that translated into information. From there, it was a simple matter of translating that those electrical signals into computer code and halting the signals that didn't correspond to the code he memorized.

"Poor kid. She's already been dragged through hell," Accelerator whispered to himself, "After all the things those pieces of shit have put her through, saying, 'Sorry, we couldn't save her,' just isn't going to cut it. I may not be a hero like Touma, but at the very least I can fill his role while he's not here."

Collating the pre-infection data he memorized, Accelerator compared it to the code currently present in Last Order. Comparing the two sets of data, the data currently in Last Order's head had an object code count that was 357,081 objects greater than it was a week ago. By erasing those extra lines of code, it should reset Last Order to the state she was in a week ago, before she was infected with the virus, and before she ever met Accelerator. With his targets set, the Level 5 immediately got to work deleting all the excess code.

As lines of code were deleted from Last Order's brain, the many red warning windows popped up on the physical exam kit started closing themselves as the lines of code they were pertaining to ceased to exist. At the same time, Last Order became extremely active for someone who was unconscious, spouting out notifications like a haywire computer and thrashing around wildly.

'How much of her memory am I erasing along with the virus?' Accelerator mused to himself.

"So, what if she doesn't remember any of it?" the Level 5 reassured himself, "The kid's better off not remembering any of the crap that's happened in the last week anyway. Remaining code count: 23,891. Just ten seconds left to go. I knew this would be easy enough to do."

Unfortunately, something, or rather someone, decided to interfere within those last ten seconds of deleting code. As Accelerator continued his memory surgery, he heard a gun cock over to his right. Turing to face the source of the sound, Accelerator saw Ao Amai with a pistol in his hand aimed right at the Esper's head.

"Get away…" the man demanded with a crazed look in his eyes, "Don't interfere…"

'You've got to be shitting me!' Accelerator growled in his head, 'I'm doing electron microscope precision work here! I don't have any power remaining to divert to reflection.'

The code count was down to the ten thousands at that point, but with how close Amai was, there wouldn't be enough time to finish the procedure and divert power to reflection before the bullet hit Accelerator. One way or another, someone was going to get shot. Either Accelerator finished the job and takes a bullet to the head as a result, or he stops the deletion process early and all the other Sisters get an incomplete command that could compel them to open fire on civilians with those assault rifles the seem to always have on their person even after Project Level 6 Shift had been halted. It was yet another ultimatum, one arguably more distasteful that the last.

With uneasy hands, Amai pulled the trigger of his gun and fired. As the bullet flew towards Accelerator's head, he could feel time slow down around him.

'What an idiot,' Accelerator reprimanded himself, 'Did I actually believe this would work? I thought I could do it. I thought I could save someone else and earn a second chance for myself. What in hell ever gave me that idea?'

Just as the bullet made contact with Accelerator's forehead, a memory flashed in his mind. It was the memory of the day his life went to hell and he was separated from his best friend. More specifically, it was the memory of when he shielded Touma from a hail of bullets after a couple agents were too desperate to apprehend him to consider the chance of hurting a civilian. The memory of when he used his power to save someone.

'Oh…' Yuri thought has he fell on his back from the bullet impact and let go of Last Order, 'That's why…'

When Accelerator landed on the ground, his body fell limp like a rag doll. Seeing this, Amai picked himself up from his crouching position to get a closer look.

"He's dead… He's really dead!" the scientist laughed triumphantly, "I don't know how, but he's lying there dead and I'm still alive!"

However, Amai's celebrations were cut short when he heard a buzz from the physical exam kit that Last Order was hooked up to. Last Order then began to ring out several notifications regarding the virus Amai created, confirming that the program had be canceled and the Sister was rebooting.

"It's been cancelled? The subject is rebooting?" Amai asked in denial, raising his gun again, "No! The virus failed to trigger!?"

In his anger and frustration, Amai pulled the trigger, intending to kill the Sister there and then. However, the bullet never reached its intended target. Out of nowhere, a right hand of a high school age boy reached out and intercepted the bullet, reflecting it right at the gun that originally fired it, destroying it. It was Accelerator.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Amai jump out of his car and on to the street, clutching the hand that was previously holding his now destroyed gun in pain.

"What!? You're alive!?" Amai cried in confusion, "I see. That's what you did. You managed to deflect the bullet right before it entered your brain!"

Climbing through the wreckage of the car, Accelrator step in front of the collapsed scientist, acting as the only defense for Last Order. He was clutching his forehead with his left hand, desperately trying to slow down the blood lose from the bullet wound.

"But what are you going to do now!?" Amai laughed mockingly as he got up, "It's already too late for you! You're beyond saving!"

"Oh, I know that. I've known it for quite a while now," Accelrator declared, "Who would want to save me anyway? Who would want to waste energy on a piece of shit like me? The very idea is so ridiculous it makes me laugh! I knew a guy who would go to any lengths to help someone, regardless of who it was, and I doubt even he would want to help me! No, I'm done with wishful thinking! It makes me sick, the person I've become, but it doesn't matter! It has nothing to do with her! Sure, I may be the one that killed over a thousand of the Sisters, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit back and watch the other ten thousand die because of you! Yeah, I know, coming from me, that sounds like nothing but lip service! I'm not the kind of guy that can make a speech on the spot that changes people's hearts for the better! But I promise, I mean every single word! It doesn't matter that you and I are nothing but enormous pieces of shit, or what justifications we make! It's not about us! It's about her, and I'm telling you she doesn't deserve to die!"

Still holding his wound, Accelerator stumbled towards Amai with the intention of fighting back. Even in his injured state, he could still manage a trick as simple as enhancing a striking force or paralysis via halting bioelectricity. Unfortunately, the wound was too big, and he was losing blood too quickly. With his brain unable to obtain the proper amount of oxygen to function, Accelerator quickly collapsed face first on the ground, his blood starting to pool around his head.

After a moment of silence, Amai stepped towards the fallen Esper and tapped him with his foot, just to check for a response. When nothing happened, he pressed a bit harder to double check. Still no reaction.

"His reflection's not working… He's down for good this time…" Amai laughed uneasily as he pulled out another gun from his lab coat and aimed it at Accelerator's head, "That's just too bad, now isn't it? Looks like playing the hero didn't work out too well for you. Kudos for trying, but you didn't have the strength for it. Not surprising. People like us weren't built for noble deeds and self-sacrifice. It's just the way it is, I'm afraid."

A moment later, a gun shot could be heard echoing through the alley. Unfortunately for Amai, it did not come from his own gun. Rather, the sound originated from behind the poor researcher, and the bullet that was fired planned itself in his lower back, missing his vital organs but still causing some serious pain. Turning around, Amai found the person to have shot him to be Kikyou Yoshikawa.

"Yoshikawa… you shot me…" Amai gasped as he collapsed on the ground.

With Amai taken care of, Yoshikawa collected Last Order from the wreckage of her former colleague's car. With the Sister secure, Yoshikawa loaded her in a special incubation chamber she loaded in the back of her own car to keep the Sister stable until she could get her body properly adjusted.

"I'm sorry about this," Yoshikawa apologized as she approached the struggling Amai, "It's a flaw of mine. I never seem to follow through with anything. I'm not being kind. I'm just soft. I didn't have the nerve to hit you anywhere vital, but I don't think I can let you get away, either."

Pulling out her gun, she held the barrel in front of Amai's face at pointblank range. There was no getting out of that situation for the treacherous researcher.

"So, I guess I've needlessly drawn out your suffering," Yoshikawa mused, "How ironic it is that my weakness has actually turned out to be a sort of cruelty. I don't know what happened except what I was able to hear over the phone, but it appears that your plan didn't turn out quiet like you thought it would."

In a moment of uncertainty, Amai looked back at the collapsed Accelerator behind him.

"Oh, him? You don't have to worry, he'll be just fine," Yoshikawa added, "I have a rather talented doctor friend. You wouldn't guess by looking at him. Poor man has a face like a frog, I'm afraid. But, he's so good at what he does, he's actually been given the nickname Heaven Canceller. With my friend as his doctor, Accelerator should pull through."

"How could you!?" Amai cried in outrage, "It doesn't make any sense! You're a scientist! You make calculations and perform experiments in a controlled laboratory environment! You don't point guns at people!"

"See, that's the thing. I sort of fell into this position, I never wanted to be a researcher," Yoshikawa revealed, taking a knee, "As a matter of fact, I wanted to be a schoolteacher. And not just some boring lecturer, but an instructor who could really connect with her students. That's what I always dreamed about, being a good teacher. One that remembered her students' faces from year to year, one they knew they could talk to no matter what problems they were having, one who could smile freely without expecting anything in return, who would hold back tears when her students walked the stage on graduation day. That's the kind of teacher I wanted to be. At least some of that desire still lingers with me. I still want to do something that's good, and not because I'm soft, not because it's weak, but because it's right. So now I'm acting like a teacher who would do anything for her students. That's why I'm here pointing a gun at your chest."

To punctuate her point, Yoshikawa pressed her gun to Amai's chest. Unfortunately, Amai did the same with his own gun on her chest. Looked like neither of them was getting out of that screwed up situation alive.

"Well Amai, it's over," Yoshikawa mused, "I see you're too frightened to die alone. If you had to choose someone to come with you, I'm glad you picked me, because there's no way I was going to let you take one of those children with you into hell. This is my one good deed. I only wish there could have been more in my life."

"Heh. I have to admit, you don't seem very soft at the moment," Amai chuckled, "Unfortuantely, teacher it won't do you any good."

On the night of the last day of summer vacation, the sound of two guns firing could be heard echoing through the streets of Academy City.

* * *

When Yoshikawa opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. While the ceiling itself was unknown to her, as a scientist she recognized the equipment affixed to it, specifically the medical hanging over her body normally used in surgery. In addition to the sound of a heart monitor and the IV tube attached to her left arm, it was fair to deduce that she was in a hospital operatin room. When a certain frog faced doctor entered her field of view, it was apparent which hospital she was in.

"I'm really alive…" Yoshikawa mused, "I can't believe I made it."

"Of course you did, my dear. What would you expect when I was operating on you?" Heaven Canceller asked rhetorically.

"I'm not questioning your ability, doctor, but I was shot point blank in the heart. That does tend to be fatal."

"To be more accurate, you were shot in the artery extending from the heart," the doctor corrected, "But I'm splitting hairs. Either way you look at it, yes, you were basically dead. If you're going to thank anyone, it should be that young man. It looks like he was somehow able to manipulate your blood flow to keep you alive. I've seen a lot in my time, but this was just incredible. He passed the blood from one opening in your artery to another without losing a drop, as if there was an invisible hose. He kept it up even after he had fallen unconscious. He held out until you reached the OR and I was able to take it from there, but without him, you would have died. Unfortunately, he isn't out of the woods yet. He seems to have taken a lot of damage, specifically around his frontal cortex. His vocal and computational will be affected. At this point, I can't say for certain how badly."

"His computational abilities!?" Yoshikawa gasped, "It can't be! What will happen to his Esper Powers!?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much," the doctor insisted, "Dear, don't you know my credo by now? When something seems unworkable, work something out. I promise, I'll restore the young man's verbal fuction and his powers of computation no matter what. You and your people seem to have created a multiheaded monster, and I intend to make good use of it. They've got nearly ten thousand brains linked together. I think they can spare some of that mental wealth to help one person's speaking and calculation skills."

"You mean the Misaka Network," Yoshikawa deduced, "What about Last Order? Where is she?"

"Are you talking about a young girl with chestnut hair by any chance?" Heaven Canceller inquired, "Don't worry, she's safe and under our supervision. Now, enough of my rambling. Patients won't heal themselves. So, what are you going to do know?"

"What am I going to do?" Yoshikawa asked in confusion, sitting up.

"It seems that the city's higher ups have found out about this bloody little incident," the doctor explained, "That lab's been permanently shut down and the experiment was completely terminated. In other words, I'm afraid you're out of the job."

"Oh… I see…" the former researcher sighed, "I suppose this mean my life as a researcher is over."

"… There are other paths you can go down," the doctor pointed out as he made his way out of the OR, "Any number of them will do."

"Wait!" Yoshikawa called out, "Please, as a friend, help the young man who came in with me! If you don't, I'll never forgive you."

"Look who you're talking too, my dear," the doctor replied, stopping at the door, "An injured body is a doctor's battlefield. You'll see. I'm a more than capable soldier. I always return from battle. And this time, I'll bring back a patient with me, one whose been fighting alone all these years."

When the doctor finally left the room, Yoshikawa was left alone with only her thoughts. Her mind wandered back to her and Accelerator's conversation in the laboratory and how he pointed out the absurdity of the Sisters' serial killer becoming their hero. In an ironic twist of fate, that's exactly what happened. It came at a great cost, but he managed to save someone with his powers.

"Well, what do you know," Yoshikawa mused, "He was their savior after all, wasn't he?"

Little did she know it was not the first time, nor would it be the last.

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple!" the master of the temple cheered, striking a pose with his sword on his shoulder, "I'm you host, Animan von Elysuim X, along with my trusty assistant, Priestess Number 1: Aisa Himegami!"**

 **"Pleasure to meet all of you," Himegami greeted with a bow.**

 **"Wasn't that I nice little chapter," Animan congratulated himself, "Complete with an expanded flashback!"**

 **"Why didn't you let Accelerator keep his full power?" Himegami complained, "So many readers wanted to see that."**

 **"Ah, here's the thing, my dear assistant. The injury was a necessary," Animan explained wisely, "With so much power at his figure tips, there would be no way to create tension in the fights he participates in without having the choker. This isn't a power fantasy type of story, but rather an alternative lens. Do you really want a character that wins every fight with no chance of a struggle?"**

 **"Have you seen the popularity of One Punch Man and most Isekai shows?" Himegami asked flatly.**

 **"Well, looks like we've run out of time!" Animan yelled, ignoring the question outright, "We'll see you all for the last chapter of the Three Stories Arc, 'War for Love'."**

 **"Goodbye," Himegami reluctantly bowed.**


	57. War for Love

**Hello internet! I'm back with another chapter of A Certain Strange Addition! This time, we're covering the finale of the Three Stories Arc.**

 **Looking at the reviews from the last chapter, I can see that opinions are a bit mixed once again, and I apologize. I know you all come here to see changes and divergences from the original story, and lately I have not been delivering on that too often, but I swear they are coming. Unfortunately, the nature of Accelerator's portion of the Three Stories Arc did not work in my favor. By virtue of the arc only working by having Accelerator work alone and push through his issues on his own, plus the fact that other characters were doing their own thing at the same time, I was unable to create any notable changes to Accelerator's story outside of those involving his past. At the very least, a majority of you seemed to enjoy the little twists and tweaks to Accelerator's past and motivations, so that's at least a plus.**

 **On the bright side, we're getting back to following a large cast of characters, which means a much wider opportunity for fun changes. Again, story beats are going to stay mostly the same, but the journey between those beats can change in various minuet or radical ways. Either way, I'm sure many of you will find those changes fun is some capacity.**

 **For now, let's review all of your reviews.**

 _fuji92: Glad you liked the chapter. Given what happens during this chapter, I think it's fair to assume that Touma does not know what happened to Accelerator on the last night of summer vacation. Of course, that doesn't mean he won't find out. After all, nothing can stop Academy City's rumor mill from eventually exposing the truth, even if the details are a bit blurred. After all, everyone who did a little digging into the rumor mill knew about Accelerator's injury in canon. Sorry to keep you waiting._

 _The Richmaster: In the words of Until Dawn's Chris, "Boom! Butterfly Effect." The changes are small now, but by the time Index II events start rolling around,_

 _mohamadstar94: OH! Now I get what your saying. Unfortuantely, that is something that Mikoto has been moving past as part of her character arc. To win Touma over, she has been getting progressively more serious about it, moving past her usual tsundere habits._

 _Aminadab Brulle: Butterfly effect, my friend. The changes start off minor and internal, but they grew increasingly divergent and external as they impact later events. That would certainly be an interesting prospect. But then again, Accelerator already has two mothers in Yomikawa and Yoshikawa._

 _Anime-ted Life116: Like I've been saying, small changes will snowball in to big changes later on. You can't rush a butterfly effect. Be patient and the end result will be so all the more rewarding._

 _janjakennen: Huh? That is an unexpectedly positive response, especially considering the core of the chapter didn't differentiate too much from canon. Don't worry, I'll keep my plans secret, unless explicitly asked via PMs._

 _ARandomFanfictionAuthor: Thank you! I actually have a lot of plans for Misaki, but if you want to hear what exactly they are, you'll have to PM me. Think of it as a final warning before I go full spoiler bomb on you._

 _O (Guest): I get what you mean. I was tempted to give Accelerator some way to maintain a bit more of his strength, but to do such would be a massive disservice to his character and character arc. I want to re-imagine the story, not butcher it to the point of being something unrecognizable._

 _Stitches (Guest): Something like that. You can always rely on the Academy City Rumor Mill to reveal some hidden secrets about the city._

 _Isokage (Guest): Thank you for being so patient with divergences. As for Uiharu and Kuroko using ODD, they will mostly emulate Touma's style of using the weapon's versatility and recall function to their advantage, with Kuroko sprinkling in the use of teleportation tactics to enhance her combat. Uiharu will stay closer to Touma's style, but will more often than not simply use the device for its logistic functions._

 _ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, the only part of last chapter that felt like I needed any real creative input was the flashback since its was a complete revamp of what was seen in the anime. Thankfully, as we start moving past the Three Stories Arc, we can start getting to some really fun and engaging changes. Yeah, probably would have been better to have Accelerator's portion just span a single chapter, but whatever._

 _Exiled Soul Nomad: Hopefully. Maybe a little help from a certain reunion with a missing friend._

 _Rajarshi Sarkar: Yeah, sadly the backstory was the only real major change last chapter. At least it was a pretty good change._

 _vampireharry the 2: Thank you!_

 _lordrednight: Glad you like the story so much. That's kind of the beauty of this project. It started as a simple "What if" story, but it grew into something so much more. When I first started this project, I never would have guessed I would be throwing in OCs and completely revamping backstories. This story is just one massive, constantly evolving beast, and its still evolving now. Just wait until you see what else I have in store._

 _lovecrazyhedgehog: Well, the funnest part of Accelerator (in my opinion) is how is parallels Touma in so many ways. Expect me to use that to the fullest when building their friendship._

 _GunsAndMagic: Glad you liked the chapter so much. Accelrator/Yuri wouldn't be the amazing character he is if not for the character development he undergoes as a result of his interactions with Touma. Expect a lot more with of that with their revamped relationship._

 _JeaSonDash: This fanfic train ain't stopping soon!_

 _Generation Zero: Sorry for the lack of strange additions (pun completely intended). Just you wait, Touma and Yuri will be reuniting quite soon._

 **Well, you all know the drill by now.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters and plotlines of the "A Certain" franchise are credited to Kazuma Kamachi.**

* * *

Chapter 57: War for Love

The date was August 31 and the time was past 5:00 pm. For a certain pair of girls in a certain middle school dorm room, that could only mean one thing.

"Hey Ruiko, it's past snack time!" Index cheered jubilantly as she prodded her host for her regularly scheduled and late snack.

"In a minute, Index," Saten replied as she dug through her suitcase, "I just need to make sure I have everything for the regional field trip next week."

After their friends in Judgement had left their little intimate get together at the café over a matter of city security, Saten and Index saw it fit to simply leave themselves and find something else to do. Thus, they had returned to Saten's dorm room, where Index occupied herself with watching reruns of Magically Powered Kanamin as Saten took the time to double check her luggage for the regional field trip to Liberal Arts City that all the middle school kids were going on.

"What's so special about this field trip anyway?" Index asked, clutching her kitten Sphinx close to her chest as she watched Saten close up her suitcase.

"It's a trip to Liberal Arts City, a massive artificial island off the coast of Calafornia, United States," Saten explained, "It was originally built as part of a set for an American movie and planned to be dismantled after filming was finished, but since effort was put into building it in the first place, it was instead revived and transformed into a giant seaside themed resort."

"That sounds amazing! Can I come?" Index begged.

"I don't think that will be possible," Saten giggled.

"Why not!?"

"Well, for one, you need a passport like this to travel between countries," Saten explained, holding up her own open Japanese passport, "Without one of your own, leaving the country would be legally impossible."

"You mean like this?" Index asked, holding up a British passport with all her information.

"… Where did that come from?" Saten asked, stunned.

"… I honestly can't remember," the nun-in-training admitted sheepishly, "Does this mean I can go on the trip with all of you?"

"Well, unfortunately, a passport isn't all you need to go on this trip," Saten explained further, "Since this is a trip designed for Academy City middle school students, a basic requirement to go is to be an Academy City middle school student. Since you're not a student here, they won't allow to come along."

"Well, that's no fun," Index pouted.

"Sorry Index. That's just the way the cookie crumbles," Saten apologized, petting the young nun on the head.

"Cookie… crumbles… crumbs… crumb cake… sweets… snacks…," Index mumbled under her breath, "Ah! My snack! I haven't gotten it yet!"

"Okay! I get it, you're hungry!" Saten laughed as she headed over to the refrigerator, "Just give me a second to see what we have."

Opening the refrigerator in her dorm's kitchenette, Saten was quick to make a rather unsavory discovery.

"Uh oh," Saten said grimly.

"What's wrong?" Index asked in concern.

"Looks like we're out of food," Saten lamented, stepping aside to let Index see the empty fridge for herself, "It seems you've cleaned us out again without realizing it. I'll have to go to the grocery store later and restock. I know I still have that money card Misaka lent me to cover your food expenses."

"But I can't wait that long! I'll die if I don't get something to eat soon!" Index whined, deflating on her belly on the floor.

While Sphinx nuzzled his owner in an attempt to comfort the young nun, Saten pondered as to what to do about the situation. When Index was hungry, she tended to go through something similar to the five stages of grief. In most cases, in no particular order, she would deny the lack of food, grow angry and throw a tantrum and attack someone (usually Touma), become depressed as her hungry grew, and bargain for any possible way to get the food she craves. Sadly, the one way this process differed from the act of grieving was the fact that Index never accepted being hungry, only calming down once something was put in her stomach. Even with the training she received from Touma regarding her restraint, this was still a reoccurring issue. If Saten didn't thing of some why to sedate Index's hunger, she my very well become victim to the Touma Treatment, i.e. bites to the head.

As the middle school girl continued to ponder, the television that Index was watching Magically Powered Kanamin on changed to a commercial break. Said commercial was for a new menu item at a certain family restaurant known as Julian Café, specifically a new Super Deluxe Hamburg Steak. The sight of this new item instantly caught Index's interest as the nun-in-training literally sitting centimeters form the screen and drooling waterfalls. Seeing Index salivate over the commercial, Saten felt a lightbulb go off over her head.

"How about we go out to eat?" Saten suggested, "That restaurant on the TV looks pretty good."

"Really!?" Index yelled excitedly.

"Sure!" Saten replied, giving her roommate a thumbs up and a wink, "We can even see if the others are available!"

"What are we waiting for!? Let's go!" Index cried, rushing for the door.

"Hang on! I still need to find that money card! Also, you remembered to bring your cellphone, didn't you!?"

* * *

As the sun began to set on Academy City, a single man could be seen wandering the streets. He was a Japanese man with short black hair and a considerable build, but nothing overly spectacular. His outfit was equally inconspicuous, a normal business suit consisting of a white dress shirt and a set of black pants, jacket, and tie. However, there was one element of his outfit that did not add up; the crossbow like device he wore on his right arm.

This device was an Asuzayumi, a sacred bow used in certain Shinto rituals. Its purpose was not to fire arrows, but rather to produce a sound, making it less an instrument of war and more an instrument of art. However, this particular Asuzayumi had many more capabilities then its counterparts for it was no simple tool but a magical object suited for tracking, combat, and escape, After all, it was only natural that a practitioner of magic such as Ouma Yamisaka, the man who illegally snuck into Academy City earlier that day, would possess such a device, especially for his particular mission.

"Soon I will have you, Index Librorum Prohibitorum," Yamisaka whispered to himself, "The List of Prohibited Books."

As Yamisaka continued trekking the streets of the city of science, the resonance of his Asuzayumi's bow string grew louder and more noticeable, similar to the sound of a sweeping radar or sonar as objects grew closer. Following the path laid out to him by his Seeking Demon's Bow String spell, the magic user closed in on his target

* * *

By the time the sun had set, Index and Saten had settled down at Julian Café to eat. Also with them was Sphinx, who contented himself with sitting on Index's shoulder. Both girls had their noses deep in the menus, debating on what exactly they wanted to eat.

"So Index, have you decided on what you want to eat yet?" Saten asked, peeking over her menu.

"Let's see…" Index mumbled as she scanned the menu before suddenly perking up, "The most expensive thing!"

"… How about we focus less on the price and more on getting the most bang for our buck?" Saten suggested wearily, "How about this Super Deluxe Hamburg Steak? It's new, it's big, and it's got a super cheap price as part of the promotion."

"Ooh! That's a great idea!" Index cheered, "Okay! I'll take that!"

'Thank goodness,' Saten mentally sighed, 'I was worried I wasn't going to have enough left in the money card for groceries later.'

"Saten? Index?" a familiar voice but in from the other side of the restaurant window.

Looking past Index, and out the window behind her, Saten saw her dear friend Uiharu standing just outside the building, giving her a friendly wave. Seeing as it was near dinner time, the roommates decided to invite their friend to join them, an offer the headband wearing girl gladly took them up on. With Uiharu now with them, the girls saw fit to rearrange seats, with Uiharu facing the window and Saten and Index with their backs turned to it. After everyone ordered their respective meals, Saten decided that the time waiting would best be spent grilling her Judgement friend on all of the details pertaining to the little incident earlier that day.

"So Uiharu, what's the deal?" Saten asked eagerly.

"What deal?" Uiharu replied obliviously.

"You know. The deal with the sorcerer earlier today?" Saten clarified, "Why was he in Academy City?"

"I have to admit, I'm curious too," Index admitted, "I don't see any particular reason for a magic user from an Aztec organization to be in Academy City. The only thing in Academy City that should be of any interest to a magical organization should be me, but that intruder seemed more interested in Touma than anything else."

"That's because the whole incident actually revolved around Kamijou, strange as it is," Uiharu revealed.

"What do you mean?" Saten inquired.

"Apparently, there have been rumors among the magical community that a third side is being formed in the cold war between science and magic being referred to as the Kamijou Faction," Uiharu explained, "Because of all of Kamijou's connections to influential individuals on both sides like his sister, Index, and Misaka, other magical organizations have jumped to the conclusion that he's forming an organization of his own to throw off the balance of power. Pretty ridiculous, don't you think?"

"I don't know, I could believe," Saten mused.

"You'll believe anything, Ruiko," Index said flatly, "Besides, could you honestly see Touma as the leader of a faction like that?"

"I mean, sure, why not? You saw how he acted during that counterattack against STUDY," Saten argued.

"True," Uiharu agreed, "When things first started going south, Kamijou immediately took command and made sure everyone was able to get to safety until reinforcements could arrive. Still, I can't really see him as someone who would actively form a group to lead like that."

"Yeah, fair enough," Saten conceded, "Still, it's an interesting thought. Wouldn't it be cool if he was that kind of leader, like one of those super spy directors of global peacekeeping organizations you see in manga and western comics?"

"That does sound interesting," Uiharu mused, "Still, feels like it would be something a bit too close to the realm of fantasy for Kamijou to pursue, especially at this stage in his life."

"Besides, I don't think Touma would even want that kind of lifestyle," Index pointed out with a giggle, "With his luck, he'd probably have a world ending crisis on his hands every other week."

"You got that right!" Saten laughed alongside her roommate.

"Excuse me," a waitress interrupted, "Thank you for waiting. I have your orders ready."

"Food!" Index cheered with stars in her eyes, her kitten mimicking her reaction.

With their food now ready, the three girls eagerly prepared to eat. Index ordered the Super Deluxe Hamburg Steak, a massive Hamburg Steak at least five times the weight of a normal Hamburg Steak. As for Saten, she had exactly that, a normal Hamburg Steak. And finally, Uiharu had ordered a parfait, and a rather large one at that.

"You sure that's what you want to eat?" Saten asked skeptically, "Aren't you a bit worried about ruining your apatite?"

"It's still early. I can have something sweet and have a proper dinner later," Uiharu argued.

"Come on, let's eat already!" Index cried, her mouth salivating bucketloads.

Following the young nun's lead, the other two girls took hold of their utensils and prepared to dig in. However, before Uiharu could take even a single spoonful of her parfait, she noticed something odd in the window behind Saten and Index. Standing outside was a man in a business suit staring rather intently on them despite his eyes being closed. Wordlessly, the man rose his right arm and pointed it at the window, revealing the crossbow he wore on it.

"Something wrong, Uiharu?" Saten asked in concern.

"With this shot, the battle begins!" the man shouted for all to hear as he took aim.

"Get down!" Uiharu cried as she dove to her left and out of her chair.

Although unsure of what was happening, Saten had no hesitations when she followed her friend's lead. Grabbing Index in her arms, the Level 0 tackled the young nun out of her chair and off to the side, joining Uiharu on the floor.

"Severing Demon's Bow String!" the man named Yamisaka yelled as he fired his spell.

As soon as the bowstring of his Asuzuyami fired, several blades of wind blew into and threw the window of the restaurant. The wind tore up everything in its path, shattering the window on impact and reducing the table the girls were sitting at to splinters. After a few seconds, the wind stopped, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

"What was that?" Saten moaned as she, Index, and Uiharu picked themselves off the ground.

"I'm not sure," Uiharu replied as she drew out her ODD and shifted it to Crowd Control Pike Mode, "but I'm scared to find out."

As the Judgement Officer stood in defense of her friends, Yamisaka stepped through the massive hole in the building he had just made, turning to face the girls.

"I did not foresee this possibility," Yamisaka said as he approached the girls, "I would prefer to limit unnecessary loss of life. Surrender yourself and I will take no further action against you. So long as I achieve my objective, no one else will come to harm."

"I cannot allow that," Uiharu declared, taking a stance, "As a member of Judgement, it is my duty to apprehend anyone who disturbs the peace of Academy City. Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish; I cannot allow you to continue. If you do not surrender, I will use force if I must."

"Unfortunate," Yamisaka replied as he fired his Asuzuyami behind him.

The blast of wind generated by Yamisaka's weapon sent him propelling past Uiharu and behind Index and Saten. With a swift movement, the strange man shoved Saten to the side and wrapped his arm around Index, holding his arm over her neck in a choke hold. With his master effectively captured, Sphinx's survival instincts kicked in and he fled Index's arms, retreating to his second owner on the floor for comfort and security.

"Saten!" Uiharu cried as her friend hit the floor.

"I have no time nor interest for childish games," Yamisaka said as he held Index hostage.

"Then why are you here?" Uiharu demanded, "And what do want with Index."

"Think it over, girl," Yamisaka instructed, "If you are aware that this girl's mind contains the 103,000 volumes of the List of Prohibited Books…"

"I see. So you're a sorcerer then," Uiharu deduced.

"So you are aware of magic, even using the term commonly used with outsiders of the community," the man mused, "While the terms are interchangeable, I prefer to go by the more professional term of magician, as should you if you wish to not earn the ire of certain individuals."

Raising his crossbow arm up again, the magician fired his weapon again and cast another of his many spells.

"Invisible Demon's Bow String!"

As soon as the Asuzuyami fired, Yamisaka and Index disappeared from view, their presence concealed by the wind. Desperate to not let the magician get away with one of her friends, Uiharu charged in with her ODD and tried to strike the place that the man was standing. Unfortunately, by the time Uiharu reached her target, the man had changed position while concealed by the wind, causing her to miss.

"Where did he go?" Uiharu whispered to herself.

The young Judgement Officer got her answer when a certain ceremonial crossbow appeared out of thin air right next to her face. A moment later, the crossbow fired a strong but harmless gust of wind, knocking her off her feet and on to the floor next to Saten and Sphinx. With his opposition temporarily incapacitated, Yamisaka blasted another window out and took his leave, completely unseen by those still present at the restaurant.

"So that's what fighting a magician is like," Saten moaned as she picked herself and Sphinx off the ground, "Really feel sorry for Kamijou having to be the one that fights them all the time."

"I'd hardly call that a fight," Uiharu whined as she did the same, "Are you okay, Saten?"

"Don't worry about me. We should be worrying about Index," Saten insisted, "She did just get kidnapped by a magician."

"Better call the others to tell them what happened," Uiharu said as she activated the communicator function on her ODD Bracelet.

"Um, miss?" a third voice interrupted in a rather angry tone.

Turning to face the owner of the voice, the two middle school girls and one cat were rather surprised and frightened to see the entirety of the restaurant staff gathered at the scene of the crime, all of them looking rather mad about the damage done to their workplace.

"… Better inform Anti-Skill as well to deal with the property damage," Uiharu added as she continued to type at her ODD's holographic screen.

* * *

"I'm home!" Touma called out as he walked through the front door of his shared apartment, setting down is ODD and hoverboard off to the side.

"Welcome home," Shizuri greeted from the couch, "How did your date go?"

"Can't say it went bad, but I can't say it went good either," Touma admitted as he sat on the couch next to her.

"What did the Railgun do?" Shizuri asked dangerously.

"Nothing, I swear!" Touma insisted, fearing for what Shizuri might do if given a reason to attack Mikoto, "We got along really well, actually. The issue was that she was a lot more popular than I expected and I had to deal with a jealous admirer."

"You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"Nah. Believe it or not, I actually managed to get out of that one unscathed, especially since Mikoto was able to provide support from the sidelines," Touma chuckled, "If it weren't for her, I probably would have suffered a lot worse considering we accidentally collapsed a steel construction site."

"You collapsed a steel construction site!?" the elder sister cried in shock, "What kind of crazy Esper were you fighting!? And why did you wait until now to tell me this!?"

'Crap! I wasn't supposed to tell her that last part!' Touma mentally panicked.

"I-I just didn't think it was important," Touma stuttered, raising his right hand in self-defense, "I got out of it okay thanks to Mikoto, so I didn't think it was something of priority. B-besides, I can handle a single Esper well enough with my right hand and the Judgement equipment I always carry with me, so it was no big deal."

"That's not the point!" Shizuri yelled, grabbing her paper fan and raising it over her head, "Everything I've done since we moved to Academy City as been to keep you safe! How am I supposed to do that if you go and nearly drop several kilograms of steel on top of yourself and not tell me!?"

Seeing the dreaded paper fan in his sister's hand, Touma braced himself for the worst. He crossed his arms in front of his face and shielded himself from the inevitable attack. A second went by, then two, then three, but nothing happened. There was no distinct pain of a paper fan harshly smacking against his skin. Instead, Touma felt a gentle touch on his head, easing him to drop his guard. When he did, he saw Shizuri look at him with sad and pleading eyes, her fan lowered to the ground.

"I don't want to lose you, Touma. I lost you once before. I don't want that to happen again," Shizuri begged, "I can't stand the thought that you could get hurt or worse in a situation you get caught up in and I'm not able to help you because I don't know about it. It's why I never thought to come back sooner. For a decade, I had believed you had been perfectly fine, only to later learn I had been lied to; the truth of your dangerous escapades hidden from me."

"… I'm sorry," Touma apologized, "I didn't realize you were so scared about that."

"I'm your older sister, of course I'm going to be scared about that," Shizuri reminded her brother, "I just want you to talk to me and tell me when something crazy happens to you that might end with you in the hospital."

"… Okay. I'll try to keep you informed from now on. As long as it has nothing to do with Judgement work, I'll let you know if something happens that should concern you. I promise," Touma conceded, "I'd let you know about the Judgement stuff, but the last thing my branch needs is another Level 5 like Zapper getting herself involved in official affairs."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Shizuri reminded him, "I trust that this is something you've made sure to abide by since I left."

"… Of course," Touma insisted, "I always make good on my promises."

"Good," Shizuri smiled in satisfaction, "Now, on a lighter note, what do you have panned for dinner?"

"… Crap…," Touma moaned, "In all the excitement today, I forget to go grocery shopping. Rotten luck."

"Oh, don't be such a worry wart," Shizuri said reassuringly, patting Touma's dejected head, "I had some time on my hands today and made sure to stock up."

"Really?" Touma beamed hopefully, "What did you get?"

"Salmon fillets, shimeji mushrooms, carrots, onions, bouillon, butter, cooking sake, the works."

"… Okay, I get the message," Touma replied flatly as he trudged towards the kitchen, "Dinner is Salmon and Mushroom Butter Foil Wrap tonight."

"That's so kind of you to make my favorite dish," Shizuri chimed in a faux sweetness.

"You realize this is technically extortion, right?" Touma snarked as he got started on preparing dinner.

After a few minutes in the kitchen, Touma had two plates of his sister's favorite dish piping hot and ready. Just as he put the plates down on the dining table, the misfortunate high school boy got a call on his cell phone. Checking the Caller ID, Touma was rather surprised to see Uiharu on the line.

"Hey Headband, what's up," Touma answered, "… Wait, what!? What happened!? … Okay, where are you now? … Okay. I'll head out now."

"What's wrong?" Shizuri asked in concern, having overhead Touma's side of the conversation.

"Judgement emergency," Touma replied as he put on his shoes and collected his Judgement gear, "There's a rouge Level 4 Esper running amok in District 7 and he has a hostage. Every member of Judgement in the district is being called in to subdue him. I have to go."

"What about dinner?"

"Just eat without me," Touma insisted as he walked out the door, "Something tells me I'm not going to be getting home too soon. I'll see you when I get back."

As Touma disappeared out the door, Shizuri could only stand there with cold feet as her little brother walked out on her. Something about what Touma had told her didn't feel right. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew he was hiding something.

"Not even a whole hour and you broke your promise," Shizuri whispered to herself.

* * *

'I'm getting really tired of having to do this,' Touma thought to himself as he ran out the lobby of his apartment building and jumped on his hoverboard.

As he rode through the streets of Academy City, Touma couldn't help but feel dirty for what he had just had to do. Not even an hour after promising his sister that she would tell her when something was happening that didn't involve Judgement work, he goes and lies through his teeth to avoid telling her the truth. Sure, in his mind, Touma had a good reason for doing so, but how long could he keep this up? How many more times was he going to lie to Shizuri about magic to keep her uninvolved? Really, how much more lying is he going to do in general.

'I can't think about that right now,' Touma reprimanded himself in his head, shaking away his distractions, 'Right now, I have to worry about finding Index. There has to be somewhere I can start- OH CRAP!'

Distracted by his personal muses, Touma failed to pay attention to where he was riding. By the time he finally noticed he was about to crash into someone, it was too late for him turn and avoid the unfortunate pedestrian. To make matters worse, those same musings made him forget to manually activate his hoverboard's Voice Command and AI Assist, leaving its flight path completely dependent on the neuro signals transmitted to it via Touma's ODD's systems, which in turn were disrupted by his own clouded thoughts. With all these compounded problems, there was only end result for the misfortunate Kamijou; a very awkward and suggestive crash into an equally misfortunate female pedestrian.

After colliding with the poor pedestrian, Touma was thrown off his hoverboard when the device interpreted his mental pleas as the command to stop in its tracks. The sudden stop sent Touma flying with his remaining momentum, sending him and the pedestrian rolling on the street. When the two of them came to a stop, Touma was left on top of the female pedestrian, straddling her.

'Those Voice Command and AI Assist functions really should be automatically activated when the board is on,' Touma thought to himself as he lifted himself off the unfortunate girl, 'Maybe even a siren and lights. It is supposed to be a law enforcement vehicle.'

When he looked down at who exactly he crashed into, Touma could help but freeze up at the sight.

"… Hey, Touma," Mikoto greeted, desperately trying to hide her blushing face behind her clasped hands and avoiding his gaze.

"… Hey," Touma greeted in return, blushing slightly himself.

"… Um, could you please move?" Mikoto whispered.

"… Oh! Um, sure. Sorry," Touma apologized as he got up and helped the embarrassed girl off the ground.

"I take it Uiharu and Saten told you about Index?" Mikoto deduced, dusting herself off.

"Why else would I be riding through the streets instead of sitting down for dinner with my sister?" Touma replied sarcastically as he picked up his hoverboard, checking it for damage, "Does Shirai know?"

"Teleporting all across the city trying to find Index as we speak," Mikoto answered, "Uiharu and Saten are doing the same of foot, with Uiharu using her ODD to access the city's security cameras to get better coverage."

"Need a ride?" Touma offered, holding out his hoverboard with Voice Command and AI Assist now activated, "It'll be faster than you searching on foot, and the extra set of eyes would really help on making sure we don't miss anything."

"Are you sure?"

"You're free to do whatever you want," Touma replied, throwing his board to the ground and hopping on, "If we search separately, we cover more ground. If we search together, we're more thorough with the ground we do cover. If you really want to, you can think of this as making up for the sour turn our date took earlier today, but that might be stretching it."

"… Okay. Make room," Mikoto agreed, hopping on behind the high school boy.

"Might want to hang on with magnetism or something," Touma warned, "I know you've riding on the back before, but this thing can have quite a kick on higher gears."

"What do you MEAN!?" Mikoto cried as the hoverboard suddenly took off, racing through the streets on the search for a certain magical index.

* * *

At the top of a certain hotel in District 7, Yamisaka stood on the roof, overlooking Academy City's urban skyline. However, he was not focused on the city. Rather, he was focused on the photo he held in his hand. The photo depicted a young woman about his age sitting in a hospital bed. She wore a white hospital gown, a green jacket, and had brown hair that fell just past her shoulders. She was a beautiful woman indeed, but her beauty was tarnished by her sickly state.

Yamisaka stared at the photo intently with his eyes wide open, only to be interrupted when he heard the sound of some ropes coming undone. Tucking the photo away into his jacket, the magician closed his eyes once again and turned to face the source of the sound. Sitting a mere five meters away from him was Index, tied in place with a set of ropes. However, it was no ordinary rope holding her in place, but a form of magic based on Shimenawa, a Shinto purification ritual, which made it ideal for hold prisoners. Even so, it did not mean it was impossible to weaken or even break out of, as Index was clearly demonstrating.

"I must say, I'm impressed," Yamisaka mused, approaching the bound nun, "In this short of a time, you have already untied two knots."

"You can tie this rope in how many painful ways you want, but I refuse to give into your stupid torture techniques," Index declared defiantly.

"As I already said, causing you pain is not my primary objective," the magician clarified, "My desire is to obtain a grimoire, and to accomplish that I need your assistance."

Index's only reply was to give him a defiant glare.

"Now then," Yamisaka mused, "I must erect a magical barrier for amplification purposes."

In only a few minutes of preparing, Yamisaka and surrounded the roof of the hotel with just the magical barrier he needed. Tied around the entire area were several ropes with Shinto and Buddhist tags hanging on them. Each rope had one end tied to the steel tower in the center of the roof and another end tied to the edge of the roof, giving the whole site a look akin to a summer festival.

"Is this a ritual staging ground?" Index deduced.

"Putting it that way is a bit melodramatic," Yamisaka replied, "I prefer to think of it as something closer to the dance grounds for a festival."

"Why did you go through all this trouble?" Index questioned, "Are you going to have me possessed by something?"

As she shifted her weight during their conversation, Index noticed she had dropped her cellphone from her pocket, leaving it open on the ground behind her.

"Once again, that is not how I would put it," Yamisaka clarified, "I only raised the barrier so I could amplify the strength of this tool of mine."

As the magician explained his plan, Index discreetly picked up her phone and called Touma on speed dial.

"The Azusayumi Bow," Index noted, keeping her captor occupied so he doesn't notice the phone, "a ceremonial item used in Shinto."

"Ah, how magnificent," Yamisaka mused, "Your magical library contains a wealth of knowledge, including my cultural background. Unfortunately, the bow's own power is only great enough to shock the mind or remove any imbalances. However, with the proper preparations, it can be used to read the minds of others. Yes, it can reveal even that which is most hidden, including the prohibited volumes that reside within you."

"Think this through!" Index gasped, "Even you must know what the consequences are if anyone other than me comes in contact with the grimoires!"

"Of course," Yamisaka said coolly, "I am well aware."

With a single strum from his crossbow, the ropes surrounding the roof of hotel sprung to life, glowing a deep violet.

* * *

"Uiharu, are you able to trace the call?" Touma asked over his ODD's commlink.

" _Almost done_ ," Uiharu reported, " _It should take more than a minute to triangulate Index's location based on that phone call._ "

"Guys, that might not be necessary," Mikoto interrupted from the back of Touma's hoverboard.

" _What makes you say that, Sissy?_ " Kuroko inquired.

"You know that massive hotel in the middle of District 7?" the Level 5 pointed out.

Stopping in the hoverboard in its tracks, Touma swung the board around so he could face towards a certain hotel he and Mikoto had passed earlier in the night. At the very top of the skyscraper was a violet glow that most certainly did not originate from any systems that would normally be placed on such a building.

"… Probably a good bet," Touma said as he kicked his hoverboard into high gear towards the suspicious hotel.

* * *

As the ritual site atop the hotel enhanced his power, Yamisaka screamed as he powered through the pain. If he wanted to get the information he sought, he would need to overcome the strain put on his body by this dangerous technique.

Once he was able to reach the necessary threshold of power, Yamisaka's mind connected with that of Index, allowing him unrestricted access to all her memories. In his mind he could see hundreds of thousands of books, swirling around a mental projection of himself like a tornado amongst a violet, purple, and black void. Each book was different, with each having a different origin reflected in the design of its cover and binding. These were the grimoires, the 103,000 magical books memorized by Index as a means to understand all manner of magic.

Reaching a mental hand out into the current of books, Yamisaka took hold of a certain grimoire, a book whose cover and bind design suggested it was of Asian origin, specifically Chinese. As the book was in her memories, Index instantly recognized what grimoire the magician had started reading.

'The Baopuzi,' Index mentally gasped, 'the grimoire dealing with eternal youth. It also discussing the process of alchemy, by which an elixir can be created that can cure any disease or curse.'

As Yamisaka took in the knowledge found in the Baopuzi, the toll that came with coming in contact with a grimoire with improper preparation began to take on his mind and body. To Index's horror and concern, the magician coughed up a massive amount of blood, leaving a sizable stain on the hotel's roof. Although greatly pained by his currently brief interaction with the grimoire, Yamisaka stood his ground, determined to retrieve the information from the grimoire he sought.

'I though being a magician meant having the power to do anything you wanted,' Yamisaka thought to himself, 'That's why I took the oath and became what I am today. So that nothing could ever stand in my way again. That is my reason for doing this. I did this for myself. No one else.'

Firing his Azusuyumi again, Yamisaka delved further into Index's mind to grasp more of the Baopuzi, all the while the strain on his mind and body grew more intense.

'It has nothing to do with her. That woman dying form a cruel curse.'

He remembered a certain encounter with the woman from his photo, sitting there in a wheelchair in a hospital, giving him a soft, sad smile.

'A powerless, pitiful woman who doesn't fight, but smiles softly and accepts death as it closes her fist around her heart.'

He fired his Azusuyumi several more times, doing whatever he could to maintain his mindreading spell and find the answers he had been looking for.

'If I couldn't help her, it meant I did not possess the boundless power I believed to be a magician's right.'

He fired his Azusuyumi again, coughing up more blood as the corruption from the grimoire hit him like a punch to the gut.

'That's why I'm doing this! Not to save her, but to prove that my power is absolute, and nothing can stand in my way!'

Once again, Yamisaka fired his bow, causing blood to erupt from his ears and eye sockets. When the blood stopped, the magician was surrounded by a massive blood splatter on all angels before he finally collapsed on the ground. He was beaten and batter, but he was still conscious, continuing to take in the knowledge of the grimoire.

'I am doing this for myself! Not for that poor, pathetic woman! It's not about her! It was never about her!'

"You're wrong!" Index called out, earning her the magician's attention, "You're lying to yourself! Your bow's power, it's been amplified too much! The contents of your mind are beginning to bleed out into mine! That's how I know! I know the truth! You're simply in love with her! That's why you're risking your life for her, to prevent her from dying! You're willing to do anything, to hurt anyone who gets in her way, as long as you can save her! You're afraid that if you admit that, the blame for your actions will be passed on to her, so you need to stop this now before you go any further! I'm sure that using a grimoire is not the way she would want you to save her!"

Suddenly, the door to the roof of the hotel slammed open, catching both Index and Yamisaka off guard. Running through that door came five figures, six is you count the kitten alongside them. They were the pet cat Sphinx, the rumor hunter Saten, Judgement veterans Uiharu and Kuroko, the Railgun Mikoto, and leading the charge the Certain Strange Addition to Judgement, Touma.

"Everyone!" Index cried in joy.

Rushing ahead of everyone else, Touma reached out and grabbed one of the many hanging ropes with his right hand. As soon as he did, the sound of shattering glass rang out and all the ropes disappeared into thin air, destroying the ritual site.

"Touma! Mikoto! Kuroko! Kazari! Ruiko!" Index cheered, jumping for joy in her restrained position.

"Jeez, you sure know how to make us worry," Touma sighed as he and the others approached the jumpy nun.

"Here, let me take care of those," Kuroko offered, teleporting away the ropes binding Index with a simple touch.

"Thank goodness you're alright," Uiharu sighed in relief.

"You know, I still didn't get my snack," Index whined.

"I'll shill out all the money you need for food," Mikoto promised.

"Don't worry Index, you're going to be able to eat to your heart's content later," Saten cheered.

"No! Now!" the nun complained.

"Is this truly wrong?" Yamisaka growled in a low voice, prompting the Judgement Officers to draw their weapons, "What I've done? Choosing to protect someone else's life? Even if it means losing my own!? Is that really so wrong of me!?"

Raising his Asuzuyumi once again, the magician fired a Severing Demon's Bow String right at the group. Reacting quickly, Touma rushed to the front and blocked the attack with Imagine Breaker, negating it in an instant.

"You fool. Of course it is," Touma said in a low voice, catching Yamisaka off guard, "Do you know how it feels to have some you care about die on you? To see them in pain, to watch them suffer, and know there is nothing you can do? You know that powerless feeling, don't you? You feel it for her. To know that she's dying makes you panic and grieve, and it scares you so much that it shakes you to your very core. It makes you want to scream as the tears are running down your face. And that's exactly why it's wrong! You'd be passing all of that on to her! And you don't get to choose that for somebody!"

Unable to accept what Touma was saying, Yamisaka prepared another spell to fire with his bow. Unfortunately for the magician, his wounds from trying to read a grimoire got the better of him and he collapsed on the ground, utterly unable to fight back. The group of Academy City residents could only stare in concern and worry as the magician laid there in a pool of his own blood.

"Pathetic…," Yamisaka whispered to himself, "Look at me after reading just one volume. I'm broken. How could I have ever expected for this poor vessel to contain the knowledge and power of even a single grimoire? my story is just a series of futile fights for power. Three times now I've given up on my life, but when I did, there was still one thing I couldn't give up on. One reason, one person to keep fight for."

As tears fell from his still closed eyes, Yamisaka grew quiet before falling limp on the ground. The girls gasped at the sight, not having expected the magician to give up in such a sad way, let alone accept death and give out in front of him. However, Touma couldn't accept that. He was not about to let this man throw his life away when he still had something to accomplish.

"Saten, please hand me Sphinx," Touma requested, stowing his ODD away.

"Um, okay…," Saten replied, not sure what Touma was planning.

Taking the kitten into his arms, Touma walked over to the fallen magician and kneeled next to his face. What happened next the girls didn't expect in the slightest. In a rather dirty and underhanded move, Touma held the calico kitten to the magician's face, allowing the small animal to leave three very visible and very painful scratch makes. The pain from the sudden assault to his face instantly woke Yamisaka up, leaving him rolling on the ground, yelling in pain as he held his face.

"What the hell was that about!?" Mikoto cried in indignation.

"Sissy, language!" Kuroko reprimanded.

"After every you've put us through, you don't get to end it that easily," Touma said, slightly annoyed, "That was for making skip dinner with my sister. I had to lie to her to through my teeth just to show up her, you jerk."

"W-what!?" Yamisaka stuttered in confusion.

"Now then, where is this woman you want to save so badly?" Touma inquired calmly.

"I-I don't…," Yamisaka coughed.

"Well, where is she?" Touma asked again, handing Sphinx back over to Index, "We're going to see if we can help her without using a grimoire."

"Huh?" the magician gasped, getting up on his hands and knees.

Save her without using a grimoire? Was that really possible?

"You saw my right hand, didn't you?" Touma pointed out, "I'm no magician of course, and I don't know a lot about curses, but if I'm right, one touch from my hand should be enough to save her."

"W-what?" the magician stuttered, "No way! That's crazy!"

"I know it may be hard to believe, but I've done this sort of thing before," Touma explained.

"Trust us, it's the truth," Kuroko insisted.

"I've tried to zap this idiot with my Esper Ability at least once every week since the day I met him," Mikoto added, "His power is no joke."

"If anyone can cure the woman you love, Kamijou can do it," Uiharu cheered.

"He's a genuine miracle worker! You can trust him to get the job done!" Saten grinned with a thumbs up.

Staring at the boy in front of him with wide eyes, Yamisaka could barely believe what was happening. Ever since the woman he loved fell victim to that curse, he had been hoping, praying for some way to save her. He thought the path to her salvation lay with a grimoire, but now he was faced with an alterative solution. A solution that met him with a smile.

"Alright then, let's go," Touma said as he stood up straight, "I promise, we're going to help the woman you love, but we can't do it without your help. We're going to need you too. So, get up and dust yourself off. You do want to help her, right? No matter what it takes?"

Overcome with emotion, Yamisaka broke down in tears in front of the high school boy. After all the wrong he had done in his quest to save someone he cared for, he and finally found a solution. The woman he loved would be save, and it would seem that he will be forgiven for his misdeeds. It truly was the miracle he had been searching for.

"Oh, honestly," Touma sighed, scratching the back of his head, "Now I have to deal with a magical curse. How do I keep getting myself in these situations?"

"It's your own fault for not being able to say no to a person in need," Mikoto giggled.

"You can't really argue with that, Touma." Index agreed.

The rest of the girls and Sphinx all nodded in agreement, their opinions on the topic clear. Touma, for his part, only quietly chuckled.

"Well, there's not time like the present. Why don't we get going?" Touma cheered, offering Yamisaka his right hand, "We've got a curse to kill!"

* * *

 **Special End Card Segment: Animan Temple**

 **"Welcome back to the Animan Temple! I'm your host and master of the temple, Animan von Elysium X!" Animan cheered as he greeted his unseen audience, "And with me like always is my trusty assistant who gets very little screen time, Priestess Number 1 Aisa Himegami!"**

 **Sadly, the introduction was met only with silence, much to Animan's confusion.**

 **"... Himegami?" the master of the temple asked, put off by the quieter than normal atmosphere.**

 **Checking the surrounding room of the temple, Animan found his missing assistant hobbled in a back corner, a visible dark mist surrounding her.**

 **"... You okay?"**

 **"You got rid of my cameo..." the poor girl sulked.**

 **"H-hey, don't feel bad! You're making an official appearance on the first day of the term in the next chapter, 'First Days'!" Animan encouraged.**

 **Himegami only hid deeper in the corner, the mist around her getting thicker.**

 **"W-well," Animan stuttered, "We'll see you all next time. Hopefully, Himegami will have gotten out of the corner by then."**


End file.
